The Yippies Summary: 1968 Democratic National Convention

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Week 5: 1968 Democratic National Convention 1968 was a year of loss. The world lost one of the greats, Dr. Martin Luther King in April of 1968. A few months after King’s death, presidential hopeful Robert Kennedy was assassinated. Many American’s were being more vocal about their opinions of the Vietnam War, riots were still occurring due to continued racial injustice, more of America’s counterculture were questioning the effectiveness of America’s government. Current President Lyndon Johnson was widely considered a failure for his handling of the Vietnam War; American’s were seeking great change with the election of the next president. The Democratic National Convention to be held in Chicago and the protests that occurred was the ultimate …show more content…

The Yippies had a unique sense of humor to their approach. Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin were known as the ringleaders of the group, believing American to be boring, sexually oppressive, and constantly at war against the poor, powerless, and unconventional (Isserman and Kazin 229-30). The Yippies encompassed the beliefs of many of youth’s countercultures of the 60s, celebrating their sexuality, openness to drugs, questioning of the government, and general society norms. Prior to the convention, the Yippies demonstrated their offbeat sense of humor, threatening to lace Chicago’s water supply with LSD prior to the convention (Isserman and Kazin 230). While they were far from serious, this most likely struck panic and fears to the general …show more content…

The Vietnam War was dividing both government officials and the public. The Yippies and The National Mobilization Committee vocalized the growing frustrations of many regarding the war. The disagreements amongst the candidates demonstrated the uncertainty of the times. The brutality of the police and National Guard showed the horrible lengths the government would go to attempt to silence opposing viewpoints. One thing was evident, change needed to happen. Luckily, the opposition would bring forth positive change that was soon to

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