The Anti-War Movement

The Vietnam War and the anti-war protests signified a fundamental shift with the relationship between political leaders and the citizens of the U.S. World War II was a conflict that was collectively considered necessary by the people of the United States. Vietnam represented a divisive conflict that Americans came to believe the United States was not fighting for a righteous cause. The anti-war movement was significant because it shifted American demographics in politics to a younger age group. The movement was the first time that the 18 to 25 year-old demographic moved toward political objection. There are two noteworthy historical events that help encapsulate the success of the anti-war movement by 1971. The first sweeping change was the ratification of the 26th Amendment in 1971, which lowered the legal voting age to 18 and “shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of age.” As the average age of military members engaged in combat in Vietnam was 19, it seemed outrageous that the men fighting abroad were prohibited from voting for their political leaders and representatives. The second event which demonstrated the accomplishment of student activism was the May 1970 Student Strike. The strike lasted a week and many colleges were forced to cancel classes due to students protesting racial inequality and the fighting in
The characters in the book paint a vivid picture of the anti-war movement in the United States, but as the book draws to a close, many of them express remorse for some of their actions and involvement in the anti-war activities. I believe that neither side was wrong when it came to the Vietnam War or the anti-war movement. The most important aspect is that whatever side a person was on, the people they associated with that possessed the same opinions as them were what those people