Randi Kearn Anti-war protest

The anti-war movement of the 60's. Vietnam 1964-1973

Randi Kearn Social Movement M/W 5:30pm

The United States thought it was fighting communism and the fight in Vietnam divided the Country. It wasn't just a bunch of hippies and students, although they got the most press coverage for their sit-ins, hunger strikes, marches and all out clashes with the police and government.

We were in a war that wasn't ours, that we had no business fighting, with the idea that communism threatened the entire free World.

The movement grew into public outrage everywhere, a force to be reckoned with and after loosing countless lives and tons of money and resources, the powers that be finally had to listen.

Ho Chi Minh was supposedly the popular guy in Vietnam, and we were supporting an undemocratic military leader. Peasants died in the cross hairs.

Yes classes were canceled and non-violent protests became violent. Doves were being arrested all over. We crashed the Democratic National Convention in Chicago so as to stop the nomination of a pro-war candidate.

There was a massive protest at the Pentagon in 1967. Television also brought the reality of the war home to us as we saw our troops come home in black bags.

I was born in 1965 and my mom was a hippy in the movement by 1968. I grew up with them, those that helped the movement gain momentum, the students and the Doves against the Hawks, pro-intervention supporters.

Music played a part also.

Many musicians wrote anti-war, promote peace songs. One that was played to death, Eve of Destruction, wasn't actually about the war, but a woman leaving him. (Barry McGuire is a friend of mine) But it fit.

People were killed at protests. A national guard shot into a crowd and killed 4 people.

Operation Rolling Thunder actually began in 1965. The year I was born. Today I am against our troops in the middle east. Who knows what the answer is, but why do we have to get involved in everyone else wars?