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Essay / The Vietnam War Movement and Its Influence on the Modern Generation
Have you ever wondered if the effects of the Vietnam War movement helped shape and influence the generation we are today? Civil War activist protests during the Vietnam War played an important role in American history. Activists banded together to end the social injustices occurring in America and Vietnam. There were a variety of social activists such as the Black Panther Party, the feminist movement, anti-war veterans, college students, and the rise of the hippie movement culture. My personal question is: How did civil rights activists and protests against the Vietnam War play a role in shaping and influencing the generation I am a part of today? Over the next few paragraphs, I will discuss how protests against the Vietnam War influenced culture, human rights, and spread the idea of drugs. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay On May 8, 1970, a group of young students from New York organized a protest against the Vietnam War on Wall Street . This protest would eventually become known as the "Helmet Riots" as the young students were brutally attacked by construction workers and businessmen, but primarily by construction workers. These workers were primarily from the American working class and they were angry because they thought these students were privileged and they dared to protest against the American government and its traditional ideals. These students displayed what they believed to be the “new notions of manhood” which consisted of opposing the war by not joining it and letting their hair grow. This new ideal of "manliness" displayed by these students indicated that there was a rising rebellion against the traditional American look and gave rise to what is known as the counterculture. Americans viewed freedom of style as part of self-expression and the right to express one's own political views. Other Americans saw it as an act of rebellion against the traditional norm and feared that it would erode established traditional social and gender norms. This expression of freedom of style represented self-expression, sexual freedom, and equality for women and minorities. time not only let their hair grow, but they also adapted new fashion trends that embodied a unisex look. The main symbolism of the hippie was the flower. The flower represents peace and love and is usually present everywhere in the hippie look. The most popular color design for hippies was tie-dye or psychedelic design. They wanted to show that they were as free-minded as possible and that they did not conform to the government. The unisex look where you can't tell men from women has become the iconic hippie look. Members of the Black Panther Party also embody this look. They usually grow their afros and wear traditional African clothing to represent their politics. Feminists will try to dress men more and generally will not conform to the traditional look for women. Feminists will also cut their hair very short in order to oppose traditional standards of female beauty. Music also had a big influence during the Vietnam War, particularly rock and roll. Rock & roll appeared around the same timewhen these movements began, but it was not a coincidence. Music was often composed to express the social anxieties caused by the civil rights movements. The tone, instrumentation, production style, and lyrical content reflected the social and political changes that were occurring. Blues, jazz, rhythm and country all contributed to Rock & Roll. Rock & Roll also served as a gateway for teenagers isolated from the movements to understand the struggles going on at that time. The Vietnam War protests were a volatile time in American history. The country was in turmoil as the people did not trust the government and its ideals. The people wanted to fight for their equality and this led the country in a direction that would forever change their views and those of their people. Feminists were a party that sought to liberate the traditional female gender role. In the 1960s, it was considered that women had only one path in life, that of marrying in their early twenties, starting a family, and devoting one's life to that home. Everything changed when author Betty Friedan published her book “The Feminine Mystique” which opened the eyes of all repressed women and made them understand that the situation they were in did not lead to happiness. This book was the catalyst for the beginning of the feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s. These feminists contributed to the protest against the war. Not only did they protest the war, but they fought for the equality of all humans. Without feminism, women would still occupy the traditional role of housewife and would not have the freedom they have today. The Black Power Movement was a political and social movement that believed in racial pride, self-sufficiency, and equality for all African American or black descendants. Unlike Martin Luther King Jr's peaceful approach to social reform, this group was tired of being pacifist and settled on a more militant, tactical approach. The movement believed that non-violent demonstrations did not allow the fight against racism. The Black Panthers believed that the only way to give voice to black people in America was to tear down and deconstruct white power. They did this by structuring themselves as an army and often patrolling neighborhoods to protect other black people from police brutality and racism. Their ideology was to end capitalism and establish a socialist society. The Black Power Panthers organization posed such an intimidating threat to the U.S. state that FBI Chief J. Edgar Hoover declared them the primary threat to U.S. internal security. The Black Panthers definitely influenced my generation by providing relief to repressed African Americans, helping them fight against racial discrimination, and protecting each other from harassment and police brutality. It definitely shaped the culture of our generation. They have managed to reduce the amount of hate in America because racism is very taboo these days and if you are racist you will be seen in a negative light. During the 1960s and 1970s, the famous “drug movement” emerged. These drugs ranged from psychedelic drugs like LSD to more natural drugs like marijuana. LSD or “lysergic acid diethylamide” is particularly famous for its role in the “counterculture” movement. LSD was founded by chemist Albert Hofmann after studying the medicinal properties of the Squill plant and the ergot fungus. Without knowing it, he absorbed the drug through the tip of his?