I think this protest movement gained so much traction and become such a big part of the nation was that a lot of people could relate to the inequalities of this draft. College, marriage, and money could allow people to decline going, and also Vietnam’s war was not so much our place to step in. Not only did it not involve us, but the Vietnamese people did not want us there. The years of fighting only resulted in very insignificant changes to the latitude lines between North and South, but over 25,000 American men died and couldn’t come home after fighting “a war that wasn’t ours.” I do think, however, the booklet created to avoid the draft, such as faking madness or homosexuality, is very unpatriotic and naive of the men to make. I agree that people should be able to decline the draft on some terms but the booklet took it too far in my opinion.
The extremism of the anti-war protest and how it seemed that world was getting taken over by these radical protestors didn’t help their cause. In my opinion, anyone who is trying to achieve a goal or in a leadership position, a cool and calm approach will more likely get them what they want than violence or extreme acts of protest. This goes back to effective leadership styles and I don’t think that the college students who began this protest necessarily obtained this qualities, maybe giving the reason for why the removal of last soldiers didn’t occur until 1973, eight years after the first soldiers were sent over.
While Americans deeply contested the war, what we must also focus on is the detriment it left on the Vietnamese, as you pointed out. The brutal murders, rapes, and seizure of innocent lives left irrevocable impacts on Vietnam that we often don’t speak about.
Not only did Americans die across the seas, but Vietnamese citizens endured violence and fatalities from the war and its soldiers. I agree that a more cool and calm approach to issues with Vietnam may have caused a different outcome. It seemed as though the U.S.’s start with violence only made things worse because Vietnam gained the reason to increase self-defense.
I think it Is a really interesting that you bring up the point of the Vietnamese people. These citizens had nothing to do with the violence but unfortunately had suffered from PSTD with something that was not their wrong doing.
I think it’s crazy that kids our age were being drafted to fight in Vietnam 50 years ago. Since we are in college, we would be exempt from the draft, but seeing other friends from home going off to war is almost unimaginable to me. Almost equally as rattling is the fact that if we protested, being fired on was a possibility.
I think it was really great that you pointed out the damaged done to the Vietnamese as many times we focus on only our own losses. The Vietnam War draft was very unfair as it was focused on benefiting those who were in the upper/middle class. One of the ways you could avoid the draft was if you were able to afford college or afford to pay your way out of it.
I agree with you, and with a number of the comments above, that we should not neglect the thousands of Vietnamese civilians who were impacted by a war that they were not necessarily fighting. The impacts of Agent Orange are still there today. Even as we debate the motives of the war, and whether they were right or just, we must continue to morn and take ownership of the fact that our country ruined lives.