Vietnam War: Social and Political Essay

It did not help matters that America seemed to be floundering in Vietnam. Things were not good for the soldiers and there was no plan for things to get better. This state of affairs in Washington only made tension in America worse. As time went by, "key moderates within and outside the government became convinced that victory was beyond the resources of the United States" (1207). Davidson writes that student protests "forced policy makers and citizens to take a sobering look at the justice of the war" (Davidson 1206). Robert McNamara, Defense Secretary, was the "most dramatic defector from the establishment position" (1207). McNamara eventually came to doubt the success of America and finally began to question the morality of the situation. In 1968, things took a turn for the worse when television reports showed the "Vietnamese side of the war" (1208) and this event was followed by the Tet Offensive, which caught Americans off guard. These events were shocking to the Americans and combat news on the television every night took its toll. Davidson notes that the "problem with morale only underlined the dilemma facing President Nixon" (1217). The public outcry against the war took down President Johnson and it was such an important issue that it became part of the presidential primary.

The Vietnam protests illustrate the power of a unified voice. A few students protesting started a public awareness that forced Washington to account for its actions and eventually, change its ways. While Washington can count on public sentiment to fade away after awhile, Vietnam demonstrates that this might always happen. When enough people speak up, Washington must listen.

Works Cited

Bailey, Thomas, et al. The American Pageant. Lexington D.C. Heath and Company. 1994.

Chodorow,…