Vietnam Age Of Anxiety Analysis

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Senator John F. Kerry once said, "I saw courage both in the Vietnam War and the struggle to stop it. I learned that patriotism includes protest, not just military service." The war in Vietnam created an immense amount of anxiety and tension for American soldiers and American citizens. People often felt obligated to fight for what they believed in on many various platforms. This perfectly reflects the literary age of the time, the Age of Anxiety. The tensions of the Age of Anxiety can best be seen through the passionate anti-war protests, speeches, and ballads by the dedicated activists of this time. During the Vietnam War in the early 1960s, the draft number increased significantly causing tremendous panic among citizens. Families were terrified …show more content…

He spoke on behalf of the Vietnam War (Werris 72). King was considered a strong supporter of President Lyndon B. Johnson, but he became increasingly worried about the country's involvement in the war overseas. He began to draw conclusions that the money being spent on the war would be better used in other areas in out one country. He began to wonder what it would be like if that money went towards helping the poor communities and those people in dire need. This speech was directed to the American people. King wanted to inspire a change among the nation that encouraged the citizens of this country to be ones who oppose their nation's government when someone has to oppose it. Numerous crowds criticized King for speaking out about the peace movement, and he responds to these critiques in his speech saying, "though I often understand the source of their concern, I am nevertheless greatly saddened, for such questions mean that the inquirers have not really known me, my commitment, or my calling." To Dr. King, civil rights and the peace movement were not exclusive terms. In fact, he believed you couldn't have one without the other. King also fought for the African Americans who were being forced to fight in a war to maintain the American liberties that they didn't have. To Dr. King, it was a very ironic situation to have soldiers fight for rights that they will not receive. He also believed we couldn't have peace on the battlefield until we had peace on our own home front. This speech is an excellent example of an anti-war message of the Age of Anxiety (Hitt). King was fighting for an end to the violence and terror at home and in Vietnam. Citizens in both our country and Vietnam were terrified of what

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