Every time I study the Vietnam War I am left with the same question: how did LBJ and his administration let it get so far? The video shows the continuous escalation of the war through numbers and protests. At first, protesters were peacefully marching and performing sit-ins to fight back against what was supposed to be an \u201cequalizer\u201d draft. Then in August 1967, 50,000 more troops were ordered to fight in Vietnam. This meant that a half a million soldiers were now going to fight in Vietnam. This escalated protests to larger stages: the senate, pulpits, and other governmental or societal platforms. The video says that in this moment LBJ knew the opposition had shifted- it was no longer just on the streets. Yet that following April 44,000 more troops were called. This number was an escalation to more recent drafts that had been happening. So, in the face of an escalating public push back, LBJ and his administration still decided to continue to fully participate in the Vietnam War. Once Nixon took over protests got even worse and culminated in 1.5 million college students involved in protests and famously 4 college students dying on Kent State\u2019s campus. People from across the nation, from all different background came out in that moment to be a voice of protest. This ignorance of the peoples\u2019 protests is a reoccurring theme throughout history. I just don\u2019t understand how presidencies can turn such a blind eye to the results of their actions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Every time I study the Vietnam War I am left with the same question: how did LBJ and his administration let it get so far?…<\/p>\n