During the Vietnam war many, if not the majority of American’s believed that there were ways to resolve world conflict that didn’t involve war. This led to the formation and growth of the Anti-war movement. The Anti-war movement played a very big role in the late 1960’s, it was created in 1965 when war began to heighten and America began bombing North Vietnam and peaked in 1968.They protested for less American troops being sent out to fight for something they didn’t feel was drastic enough to fight for and for the war to be completely done and over with. The Anti-war movement recruited many members by making people change their opinions to thinking that war was unnecessary and unproductive. Anti-war protests and marches were coordinated by organizations such as Student’s for a Democratic Society (SDS), the Student Peace Union (SPU), and the Free Speech Movement (FSM).
Protesters not only joined organizations and physical protests, they also fought with their words. There was numbers of underground papers being released where they exposed all the wrong in the war and how the U.S. government was manipulating the public through the media to make american’s believe war was necessary. The media also was used to recruite members into the army, also known as war propoganda; the underground press exposed this too. There were even returning veterans from Vietnam who opposed war, they called themselves the ‘vietnam Veterans Againts war.’
The media, as much as in the 1960’s as in todays time, had a very large impact on citizens. In times where people were confused and curious, they would seek out for shed light on the topic of the Vietnam war; however, they could not rely on the lies that the media was releasing because of the government. Things get switched around and words get manipulated in order for people to portray things are good when they really aren’t. This led to the production of the underground press. Abe Peck was a member of Chicago’s underground press (Chicago’s seed) and exposed as many lies as he could. ‘i tumbled into the movement. I went to the Summer of Love in San Francisco, five guys in a Volkswagen van. My pivotal moment was driving to the Pentagon Demonstration in 1967.
I saw everything from people putting flowers in guns to people storming the building just to have a sense of just how outraged we all were by the war… Being in the underground press gave me a really enduring appreciation of the first Amendment, which i have always defended since then.’ says Peck to ‘Life’ magazine interviewer. Peck did the most he could to tell people what was really going on involving their country, the truth inspired many others to stop following what the media was producing and to convert their opinions to be against the war. In addition, many people, inspired by the truth joined anti-war movements and organizations. overall, the underground press benefitted to anti-war movement and all of its organizations.
Many independent anti-war activists such as Vivian Rothstein touched many peoples hearts through words. Rothstein was the founder of the Women’s Libertarian Union, participated in the Mississippi Freedom Summer project, but she was most known for her role in a peace dlegation to North Vietnam. While on her peace delegation, Rothstein met with the Vietnamese Women’s Union, which led to her founding the Womens Libertarian Union. She displayed courage and bravery by going to the country America was at war with. This spoke to many people. ‘I got invited to go to North Vietnam. the experience crystalized my commitment to end the war.’ Rothstein also was an active member in Students for a Democratic Society, and travelling to Vietnam only heightened her commitment, as well as contributed to the recruitment of other members for the SDS against war.
Richard Flacks worked as a a professor in the University of California, Santa Barbara; despite his bad rep for being an activist, he managed to reach out to as many student as he could. He played a key role in recruiting members for the SDS and other anti-war organizations as well as being an active member himself. Flacks was labeled ‘a radical anti-war activist’ and when he got hired at the university was compared to ‘a pyromaniac working in a firecracker factory’ by Ronald Reagan pre presidency. Flacks used nonviolent civil disobedience to protest war on the collge campus, and outside of the college. Many were surprised with how he protested because of his previous labels, this made him out to be a leader followed by many college students along with their families and friends.
Flacks also conducted many teach ins which weren’t yet popular till Ken Calkins conducted the first one. ‘A few months later people in Ann Arbor (Michigan) started the action, which they called a ‘teach-in.’ Classrooms were used for debate, discussions, and forums about the war.’ Richard Flacks helped educate Americas youth or the wrong in the war. He helped recruit members for anti-war organizations and protested and expressed his beliefs about the war lawfully which he previously was not known for, He rose up despite his reputation and fought for what he and thousands of other citizens believed war the right thing to do which makes him a leader and a strong independent anti-war activist.
Their were very many bold independent anti-war activists such as Abe Peck, Vivian Rothstein, and Ricard Flacks. Although not all anti-war activists were as bold and as productive, thousands of people showed their support for anti-war movements through organizations such as The Students for a Democratic Society, The Student Peace Union, and The Free Speech Movement. The majority of members showed their undying support by showing up at protests, marches, rallies, and sit ins. With out these big orgnaizations and all of their support, independent activists and leaders wouldnt have been taken seriously. Organizations worked their way up form nothing, some starting from scratch, some merging with others, and some jumping from their initial projects to more reform for their countires. Without these fllowing organizations the anti-war movement would be less of a movement and more of a minor opinion disregarded by the U.S. government; the groups and organizations are the reason why change was made.
The Student’s for a Democratic Society (or the SDS) although was founded in 1959, began to flourish in 1965 when America initiated in war with Vietnam; in that same year the SDS organized its first Anti-war movement march. The march took place in April at Washington D.C. and grew there organization significantly. Marches, protests, and sit ins by students protested war eventually led to “teach ins” held on college campuses. The first teach in was held at the University of Michigan and eventually because a tremendously used method to protest. “Later in the month, 15,000 students demonstrate against the war in Washington; 35,000 anti-war protesters converge on the city in November.” On December 16, 1965 students began to be suspended for wearing black arm bands symbolizing their remorse for death on both sides of the war. The negative affects led to the SDS organizing more protests and marches against war, and also helped rope in the Free Speech Movement organization.
The Student Peace Union (or the SPU) was an active organization from 1959-1964. The SPU was founded by Ken Calkins and began protesting war before America bombed North Vietnam. Calkins coordinated dozens and dozens of peace seminars at schools local to him (Chicago.) The group merged with the Fellowship of Reconciliation and renamed themselves The College Peace Union (or the CPU) in 1960 and there 100 members turned into 1,500 members. Their first protest as a merged organization was against the resuming of nuclear testing in America in November of 1961, and continued to organize many more protests, marches, sit ins, teach ins, and rallies against war initiation and testing related to war. The organization eventually developed into 3,500 members, continuously growing until 1964 when they broke up, many of these activists still seeking out the ending of war joined the SDS.
The Free Speech Movement (or the FSM) acted as a bridge from the civil rights movement to the anti-war movement. After a big victory for all civil rights activists many members sought out for more reform in their country. Many people found that in organizations such as the SDS. “With the rise of SDS and the FSM, the Old Left peace advocates had discovered a large and vocal body of sympathizers, many of whom had gained experience in dissent through the Civil Rights battles in the South.” The FSM used all of their left over anger and rage to help fuel the anti-war movement. Their biggest concern was the students being expelled and suspended for harmless acts such as arm bands and other examples of violation of their first amandment right.
An additional anti-war organization was The Vietnam Veterans Against the War. They conducted a large number of protests and marches agains war, and with the additional support of other organizations really made a large impact on the war and stopping it. Hearing about the war from people who came from the war such as Ross Canton really persuaded people into converting initial opinions to be against the war. Members of this organization revieled horrific and gruesome storys about being in the war as well as their treatment after their service. Members from this organization specifically targted how war propoganda was false and misleading as well as the U.S. government’s wrong in war. Speeches and organized protests from this organization impacted the country more than anything else, they were like the cherry on top for the big sundae that was ending war.
The organization began their impact with a five day demonstration in Washington called ‘Dewey Canyon lll’ begining on April 23rd. The protest involved veterans throwing fake weapons, uniforms and helmets, and their combat ribbons on Capitol steps. On April 24th a 200,000 person rally took place in a mall in Washigton was conducted by this very organization as a part of the demonstrate. It was the largest anti-war protest and not only involved the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, but was also host to members of the SDS, CPU, and the FSM. This rally was so intense it was forced to end early due to militants taking over the stage. Although there was some negative backlash, this large protest touched many people and the rallies only got stronger. The VVAW didnt stop after their 5 day demonstration, they continued to protest the Vietnam war continuously and were also most known for theirthree day march from Morristown New Jersey to Valley Forge State Park, Pennsilvania. Alot of attention was then drawn to all anti-war protests not just those coordinated by the veterans.
Ross Canton although engaged in fighting war expressed that he was against the war since he fought in the war. He as well as hundreds of other Americans felt pressured into fighting in the war because of war recruitment tactics. He exprssed his opinion of being against the war through his membership in Vietnam Veterans Against the War as well as through writing and speeches. He wrote under the name ‘R.G. Cantalupo’ and his most memoirable quote is ‘Those of us who remember the wish to forget. Those of us who have forgotten wish not to be reminded.’ He wrote about gruesome war stories as well as his regret and remorse for all who have died in the war. He expresses how war is not patriotism or a solution and how it has scared him and other veterans. ‘Returning veterans who were against the war were very dangerous, because we could tell what was true and what was not true.
The whole idea of winning the war was deflated by all these Vietnam veterans coming back and exposing that it was not true.’ Canton advocated against war by using his own experiences and stories to reach out to people. His inflence on America’s opinions was one of the greatest, not only because he spoke strongly and told facts about the war, but because he wrote words so heartfelt and true that it touched people. He made people relize that war was not at all as harmless as advertized and that those who wanted to do the right thing for the country needed to step up and fight for that. War was not just going to end on its own, it needed to be protested.
When the war ended in Vietnam anti-war protesters and organizations didn’t either. Many activists fought for reform in other things, such as Vivian Rothenstein fighting for women’s rights; Hovever when future wars were threatened and minor wars took place the anti-war movement banded back together as if they were never apart. They had a very big role in making war with Afghanistan as small as it had to be. Protesters continued to protest and organizationd continued to coordinated events of all sizes anywhere they possibly could to draw attention to the problem and concern of another world war as fast as they could. I believe that this will not be the last time we will hear of the anti-war movement doing work. As long as there are people willing to fight for what is right and as long as the organizations continue to stand us U.S. citizens will be able to prevent and U.S. initiated wars that we set our minds out to do.
Overall the anti-war movement shapped America’s opinions the right way. Many people automatically knew war was not good but some needed to be influenced. The media, organizations, and strong leading activists helped to do so. War was hurting people and their families and those who stepped up led the country to peace helped to reform the country for the better. It was not a short battle but it ended up ending and thats all that matters. War would never end on its own, it needed to be fought and will always need to be fought. There is always going to be international conflict because that is our world, there is greed, evil, and jealousy and nothing will ever change that.
War will be mentioned and threatened by our officials and what are supposed to be our leaders and thats always how its going to be. People like to have total control over things that they dont have control over, and people will always want more power than they have because of this greed, evil, and jealousy. The important thing is that we have people who will fight for what is right such as Ross Canton, Vivian Rothstein, and Richard Flacks and as long as we have these leaders and people continue to seek out information and confirmation of the truth through the media there will always be an anti-war movement.
Work cited
- “Timeline: Vietnam War and Protests.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/two-days-in-october-vietnam-battelfields-and-home-front/.
- Bennett, Gwedolyn. “The Anti-War Movement in the United States.” Gwendolyn Bennett’s Life and Career, The Oxford Companion to American Military History, 1999, www.english.illinois.edu/maps/vietnam/antiwar.html
- ‘There Was All This Chaos’: Vietnam-Era Antiwar Activists Reflect.’ Google Search, Google, www.google.com/amp/amp.timeinc.net/time/3673805/vitetnam-antiwar-activists-reflect.
- Welsh, Nick. ‘UCSB’s Most Dangerous Professor.’ Google Search, Google, 11 May 2006, www.google.com/amp/s/www,independent.com/news/2006/may/11/ucsbs-most-dangerous-professor/%3famp=amp.
- ‘Vietnam Veterans Against the War Demonstrate.’ History.com, A&E Television Networks, www.history.com/this-daay-in-history/vietnam-verterans-against-the-war-demonstrate.
- Cantalupo, R.G. ‘The Future Is Now.’ VVAW: Vietnam Veterans Against the War, www.vvaw,org/veteran/article/?id=2602.
