Weather Underground Vietnam War
Kyle Bonalle
Professor Ziad Munson
Social Origins of Terrorism
November 14, 2014
The Weather Underground Review During the Vietnam War, a radical protest group rose up on the campus of the University of Michigan. Weathermen, as they became called in everyday vernacular, were actually nothing like weathermen at all – they protested, rioted, bombed, and broke people out of jail, to mention a few of their actions. The name was formally changed to Weather Underground Organization a year after the founding, and their acts of terror followed shortly after. Earlier in the semester, a documentary about the Environmental Liberation Front was viewed. In this documentary, titled If a Tree Falls, a radical protest organization rises up to confront …show more content…
The Weather Underground Organization had all the makings of a terrorist organization based on this four-part definition. The motives of the group were entirely political; it was created in response to the United States Government authorizing involvement in the Vietnam War and also grew in scope during the Civil Rights Movement. Without the political catalysts to get the organization started, it would not have been formed in the first place. Violence was found throughout the organization, as their attacks involved bombs on buildings, as well as freeing a person from prison. The threat of violence continued in the wake of attacks, as people were constantly worried that their building was next. Moreover, the victims were noncombatants, as they were simply working for the government. The psychological repercussions were intended to be far reaching – to the executive branch of the United States Government. They intended to influence the government at all levels to change their ways. Finally, the perpetrators were acting as if they were altruists. Clearly they felt that the Vietnam War was wrong and that, by their actions, they were going to make things
Professor Ziad Munson
Social Origins of Terrorism
November 14, 2014
The Weather Underground Review During the Vietnam War, a radical protest group rose up on the campus of the University of Michigan. Weathermen, as they became called in everyday vernacular, were actually nothing like weathermen at all – they protested, rioted, bombed, and broke people out of jail, to mention a few of their actions. The name was formally changed to Weather Underground Organization a year after the founding, and their acts of terror followed shortly after. Earlier in the semester, a documentary about the Environmental Liberation Front was viewed. In this documentary, titled If a Tree Falls, a radical protest organization rises up to confront …show more content…
The Weather Underground Organization had all the makings of a terrorist organization based on this four-part definition. The motives of the group were entirely political; it was created in response to the United States Government authorizing involvement in the Vietnam War and also grew in scope during the Civil Rights Movement. Without the political catalysts to get the organization started, it would not have been formed in the first place. Violence was found throughout the organization, as their attacks involved bombs on buildings, as well as freeing a person from prison. The threat of violence continued in the wake of attacks, as people were constantly worried that their building was next. Moreover, the victims were noncombatants, as they were simply working for the government. The psychological repercussions were intended to be far reaching – to the executive branch of the United States Government. They intended to influence the government at all levels to change their ways. Finally, the perpetrators were acting as if they were altruists. Clearly they felt that the Vietnam War was wrong and that, by their actions, they were going to make things