The Vietnam War: Power Of The Protests

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Recommended: History of vietnam

Ryan Lalonde
Professor Elsmore
English 101
April 7, 2014
Power of the Protests
“Going through high school I remember talking with my friends about the Vietnam War. I had the friends who were gung-ho for the war, and I had friends who, like myself, felt the Vietnam War was unnecessary and not worth fighting for. I remember back in 1967 hearing about the protestors at the Lincoln memorial. Over 100 thousand protestors were there, and I remember thinking how great it was that so many people had the courage to march up to leaders in D.C. and voice their frustration. Then there was my father who said how all those protestors were un-American. I guess I could not blame him, he fought in World War II and served his country with honor, taking great pride in that. To me though, war is not always the answer. That’s where the difference was between people at the time, you either were fully supportive of American involvement in Vietnam, or you were opposed to it, I do not remember much in between. As for me, I could not support the Vietnam War” (Lalonde). The protests of the Vietnam War were opportunities for disgruntled Americans against the war to make their voices known, speak out against the injustice of the draft, while also helping to contribute to the end of the war and being a beneficial spark to an end of the draft.
While the Vietnam battles began in the 1950’s, America did not become involved until 1965, under the command of President Lyndon Johnson. Right away the decision was met with mixed reactions. World War II had ended about 20 years prior to the deployment of U.S. troops in Vietnam, and many were not exactly excited to jump into another war. Right away protest groups formed across the nation, and many people began to let ...

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...ers and friends finally are coming home. Many were also glad to hear that the draft was finally coming to an end. “I thought it was a win for all Americans. I thought the draft was an injustice to Americans, and was glad to hear that it was over” (Lalonde).
“Since I did not fight for what I did not believe in, and since I still loved my country, I felt it was my patriotic duty to protest what I, and many others saw as something negative for our country” (Lalonde). Many others who protested the war felt they did a great thing by standing up and protesting. Protesting the war was a battle in it of itself. It is not always easy to stand up against something that has already been decided and many have already accepted it without question. It goes to show that everyone has a role in war times, and the actions of an individual can make a difference.

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