The War Of The Vietnam War - 1729 Words

Throughout the 1960’s, the United States of America was in the midst of change, advancements, and struggle. It was America vs. the Soviet Union, always trying to one up each other in both weaponry and space technology, but the main conflict was the spread of Communism. As the battle between Communists and Non-Communists raged on, America attempted to do everything in its power to stop the spread of communism all around the world. This is what lead to the gruesome war that lasted over a decade in Vietnam. A great deal of social changed happened all over the world, but particularly in America as the Vietnam War dragged on. As people became more aware of the atrocities going on in Southeast Asia, the endless domestic support turned into†¦show more content†¦The attempts to avoid the draft during the 1960’s became one of the first forms of â€Å"protest† at home. Many young men tried to get deferments once becoming eligible for the draft. They used methods s uch as going to school, joining the national guard, getting married, through legal action, or obtaining jobs so critical that they could not leave to fight in Vietnam (Moss 213). The draft also caused racial and social tensions between the American people. Those who were white/rich were able to evade the draft without much effort while minorities and the poor were sent to fight. As American occupation in Vietnam showed no signs of retreat, opposition to the war began to heighten. One aspect of American culture that contributed to this change from supporting the government to calling for their troops’ immediate return was the influence of music during the mid-1960’s to the early 1970’s. Many artists of the day, such as Bob Dylan, Peter Seeger, and Peter, Paul, and Mary, were recording anti-war ballads that were bringing issues about Vietnam to light that many American’s were oblivious to. These songs criticized both the Kennedy and Johnson administrations and began inspiring American’s in an effort to stop the United States involvement in Vietnam. In the beginning of the opposition to the war, artists were putting out specific anti-war songs, pointing out precise incidents and individuals who they felt responsible for this losing battle. Around 1965, one