Vietnam War Protests

[Photo] The Vietnam War was by far one of the most controversial wars in American history. A spectrum of antiwar protestors spoke their minds on how they believed the situation in Vietnam should be handled. These protesters were anywhere from completely radical to very moderate. Outrageous signs and chants shocked the nation with an idea that did not please members of the government, since protests were mainly against their policies. Citizens across the United States took a stand against their government by openly disapproving of the war and tactics used during war. The invasion and attacks against Communist supporters in the Vietnamese area began in the late 1950's, and hopes for American success in the foreign country were high. However, after about 5 years, initial expectations for an "easy war" slowly vanished. Years had gone by without the anticipated results, and in the year 1964, small amounts of students on college campuses began protesting the war. [Photo]Though the antiwar movement started off small and mostly among students, it gradually expanded. The antiwar movement gained most of its support four years later, in 1968. The war seemed like an endless tunnel of disaster and death due to the large and sudden amount of casualties after almost 10 years of involvement. Americans, especially American students, believed "enough is enough". To protesters, the war seemed like it was no longer worth fighting for. They believed that the way the government and army handled attacks was inhumane and not in the place of the US government. Parents were left childless, and this was obvious reason to protest. As the situation in Vietnam worsened, the antiwar movement grew. Vietnam War protests took place on 1/3 of the college campuses in the United States, and many students turned to radical views. [Photo]Some antiwar protesters even created bombs and explosives to throw at national guards that prevented protests. Supporters of the antiwar movement included famous people such as Muhammad Ali, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, John Kerry, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, and John Sinclair. John Lennon and Yoko Ono even hosted a "Bed-in for Peace" to protest the war. The Bed-in for Peace was a giant protests televised for everyone to see. Protests, largely backed by stars, totally threw off the government. They were unable to keep the antiwar demonstrators silent, which made obvious the fact that much of the country did not support the war. An unsupportive war meant a weak military. Since the war took so many lives, so much money, and so much time out of America, it was horrifying for government officials to ask themselves the question, "is this war really worth it?". [Photo]However, instead of seriously considering this question, many government officials immediately condemned the antiwar protests and ordered them to be stopped. One of the most remembered protests is the Kent State Vietnam War protest in Ohio. As thousands of students gathered to share ideas, police surrounded the scene and threw tear gas at them. Students at Kent State were shot at, and the outcome of the rally included 4 students killed by the Ohio National Guard. The event, often labeled as the Kent State massacre, opened the eyes of Americans and sparked new protests and strikes of 8 million college students. The Kent state shootings reversed the goal of minimizing protest and shed light on how much the government was trying to quiet people against the war. Citizens were angry at their government, and government was trying to get the war under control. As the war slowed down and eventually ended, so did the protests, though the anger and bitterness of protestors never left. It took far too long for American troops to leave Vietnam, and citizens clearly were not happy about it. The protests were voice for Americans who chose not to speak up, they were an outlet for frustrated citizens, and they were places to tell the government what they really thought of the war.