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What does your selected document tell us about the anti-war movement?
Document 4 highlights the deep disillusionment within the anti-war movement during the Vietnam War. David Harris, a draft resister, explains how he was raised to believe that American wars were fought to uphold freedom and justice. However, his experiences led him to see the Vietnam War as a betrayal of those ideals, as the U.S. was not spreading democracy but instead supporting oppressive regimes. His testimony reflects a core belief of the anti-war movement: that America’s involvement in Vietnam was not a noble cause but an unjust war that contradicted its own values. Many activists, like Harris, protested against the government’s decisions, the draft, and the overall military campaign.

How was the war perceived by those who were against it?
Critics of the war saw it as immoral, unnecessary, and a misuse of American power. Harris’ statement suggests that, instead of protecting democracy, the U.S. was actively backing governments that oppressed their own people. This view was shared by many in the anti-war movement, who believed that the war’s human and political costs far outweighed any justification for U.S. involvement. For resisters like Harris, participating in the war would mean betraying the very principles of justice and freedom that they had been taught to uphold. His perspective reflects the growing realization among Americans that the war was not only failing but also compromising the nation's moral standing.

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The report of the President's Commission on Student Unrest finds that the anti-war movement was largely driven on college campuses by fierce opposition to the Vietnam War. Students felt the Vietnam War was unjust and caused unnecessary deaths, both to American soldiers and to Vietnamese civilians. They believed the war had no clear purpose and was damaging both to the country and to the world. These students expressed their frustrations about the government's continuation of the conflict and felt that their voices were not being heard. The anti-war activists thought the war was simply immoral and viewed it as their duty to protest in the hopes of stopping the violence and changing things. Regardless of their intentions, the report indicates that, generally speaking, anti-war activists became the targets of power brokering through systemic efforts to ignore, sidestep, and demonize them.

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What does your selected document tell us about the anti-war movement?

The document highlights the growing resistance to the Vietnam War through the actions of draftees, as 2,400 out of 4,400 men ordered to report for induction did not show up in May 1969. This defiance signifies widespread opposition to the war, as many Americans were no longer willing to support a war they viewed as unjust. This defiance reflects a broader societal shift, with more people openly protesting and questioning the war's legitimacy and moral justification.

What role did the media have in changing Americans' opinions on the Vietnam War?

The media significantly influenced public opinion about the Vietnam War, exposing Americans to the brutal realities of the war through graphic television coverage and reporting from frontline journalists. This led to widespread disillusionment, spreading anti-war messages and fueling protests. The media brought the war into people's homes, making it impossible to ignore its human and moral costs, and prompting many to question the war's worth.

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How was the war perceived by those who were against it?

We learn the people are confused about what we are fighting for. The people were told that they were fighting to defend the freedom in Vietnam but in the peoples eyes it doesn't seem that way. The war was perceived to be the move of "first act of the of a dictator". Many people in the anti-war movement saw the conflict as morally wrong and an unnecessary loss of life.

What does your selected document tell us about the anti-war movement?

The anti-war movement believed the U.S. was not truly fighting for freedom in Vietnam. Paul Potter said that instead of protecting democracy, the U.S. was supporting a dictator and suppressing political opposition in Vietnam. Many in the movement saw the war as unfair, unnecessary, and more about power than helping the Vietnamese people.

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What does your selected document tell us about the anti-war movement? Use specifics and details to support your response.

What the document I chose says about the anti war movement in the United States clearly shows that people were trying to use a common religion to get more people to support the anti war movement with them. They are trying to use religion to guilt trip other Americans into not being supporters of the war anymore. The image shows that even then, Americans were fearing of world war 3. This is shown by one of the protest posters saying "Stop inciting WW3" referencing the fact that many troops were being sent to Vietnam, thus rising tensions between communist and anti communist parties.

How was the war perceived by those who were against it? Use specifics and details to support your response.

Document 3 shows that the war was perceived as a very negative/dangerous event and could lead to world war 3 if tensions do not stop rising. Because of this, the anti war group in the United States perceived the war as playing with fire. They believe in this idea so much that they try to say things like "for Christs sake STOP THE KILLING!" shedding light on the fact that murder is a sin.

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Document 6 shows the anti-war movement was large and passionate. It describes 300,000 people demonstrating at the United States Congress. The actions of William Wyman, a veteran, highlight the intensity of feeling. He's wearing combat clothes but has torn off his medals. This dramatic gesture, along with his words, shows that some veterans strongly opposed the war. The protest wasn't just people talking; it involved symbolic acts to show deep dissatisfaction with the war.

Those against the war, as shown in Document 6, felt it was based on lies and had corrupted American values. William Wyman's statement that "the good guys are really the bad guys in disguise" suggests a belief that America had lost its moral standing. The reference to "Mickey Mouse is dead" implies a loss of innocence. Wyman's own experience as a veteran who "killed and killed and killed" points to the war's brutal reality and the moral conflict it created for some soldiers.

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Document 3

This document tells us that the antiwar movement was increasing. The war causalities were much more troubling than the news portrayed it. So when people found out, they started to become a part of the antiwar movement. In the picture there are a lot of people protesting to stop the killing and in one of the signs it says "Stop inciting World War III which is significant because of the first two wars and now this war would cause destruction. Most of the signs say "For Christs Sake Stop the Killing". The priests are saying to stop the killings for Christ as Christ wouldn't want people killed.

For the people who were against war, they perceived it as dangerous and not the way to handle international affairs. The people of America did not want war in their lives. They thought that war was too harsh and that there are other ways that are much better to handle the affair. With the amount of killing, the people had more reason to be against war since killing is not the right thing to do. It is an improper way to handle the issue. The people who were antiwar saw the war in a very negative way. They believed that the war would create future problems for the countries and the people of those countries.

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What does your selected document tell us about the anti-war movement? Document 4 shows how David Harris, who once wanted to attend West Point, joined the anti-war movement after feeling the Vietnam War betrayed American values. Harris changed his mind about military service when he saw the war wasn't about freedom or justice. The document reveals that some protesters weren't always against all wars - they just thought this war was wrong. Harris believed America was fighting for the wrong reasons, which pushed him to protest. His personal story helps explain why normal Americans who usually supported the military ended up joining protests against Vietnam instead.

How was the war perceived by those who were against it? Harris and other anti-war folks saw Vietnam as a fight that went against what America was supposed to stand for. They didn't buy that we were fighting for freedom - instead, they thought America was fighting for "petty dictators." Harris felt the US was trying to force Vietnamese people to accept American ideas. This shows that protesters weren't against America itself - they just thought America wasn't living up to its own values. The document reveals how disappointed many Americans felt when they saw the difference between what America claimed to stand for and what it was actually doing in Vietnam.

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This quote said by Martin Luther King Jr, reveals his belief that the was war a betrayal of America's core values being justice and equality. From his perspective, the was was represented as an unjust conflict which drained the nations moral integrity and as he stated, "poisoned" its soul. This was a direct reflection of American imperialism and the overall misuse of the nations power. Opponents of the war viewed the war as unjust and senseless and as just America intervening in another country's affairs for no exact reason. Anti-war supporters were perceived as unpatriotic and lacking support for their country. They viewed the anti-war movement as a challenge to American authority and an overall betrayal of the country's efforts in Vietnam. The media played a crucial war throughout the Vietnam war as it shaped public opinion. It helped to expose the disconnect between the government narrative and the true reality of it. This contributed to the increasing public pressure on the government to end the conflict.

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martin luther king junior anti vietnam war

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Document 20 shows us the extreme internal and moral struggle that was in the U.S. army during the Vietnam war. The Anti-war movement was moving faster than ever. In the document, soldiers are seen as questioning order, and refusing to do action. This shows us that even the soldiers no longer believed in the war and what it stood for. There was a lot of drug use, and tension between troops. This made it even more clear that the unity was gone. This opinion is shared because many younger Americans thought of the war as unwinnable.

People against the war thought of it as a waste of time and a dangerous situation to even get in the first place. People often criticized the draft because they thought that it impacted and hurt lower income communities and minorities more. The document shows us that the soldiers became disillusioned. Some went AWOL, and the desertion rate tripled in years before, shows us the frustration that the troops had with the war. This shows that they wanted a withdrawal from Vietnam quickly.

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What does your selected document tell us about the anti-war movement?

Document 4 shows how protestors developed their anti-war stance through strong personal discouragement towards American principles. Harris shows how his personal development transformed him from a West Point recruit to a draft resister which shows that protestors came from patriotic backgrounds but left the military when America failed to keep its promises. According to him, Vietnam "was an extraordinarily obvious violation of everything that I had been led to expect" because America failed to live up to its claimed values through the Vietnam campaign.

How was the war perceived by those who were against it?

According to Harris the anti-war activists saw Vietnam as serving "petty dictators" who ruled through "servitude" against "a good portion of the population." The comparison between America's World War II bravery for freedom and justice and its present-day actions in Vietnam showed the war's contradiction with American moral values. The war showed itself as a plan for corrupt regimes when the author described it through phrases such as "popping up of petty dictators."

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The document shows a specific decline in American support for the Vietnam War as U.S. deaths increased. In August 1965, sixty-one percent of Americans surveyed actually favored the lengthy conflict while it was still relatively new. However, as the total number of casualties rose, overall support gradually decreased, dropping to only 28% in May 1971. This decline indicates that the anti-war movement strengthened over time, likely influenced by increasing casualties and growing public dissatisfaction. Several deaths in 1968, particularly following the Tet Offensive, represented a significant moment that prompted more Americans to oppose the war.

The media played a crucial role in shaping public opinion regarding the Vietnam War. Unlike previous conflicts, Vietnam was the first war to be televised, showcasing vivid images of battlefield deaths and widespread destruction in American homes. As the war continued and the number of U.S. deaths climbed, the media revealed the harsh realities of the conflict, leading to increasing skepticism and numerous protests against it. The document indicates that after significant spikes in casualties, such as those in 1968 and into 1969, public support fell sharply. This suggests that the media's reporting on these events may have contributed to the growing anti-war sentiment.

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How was the war perceived by those who were against it? Use specifics and details to support your response.

War was perceived by those who were against it as a racially motivated act. Most troops that had African Americans had forced those troops to defend on the front of the war and basically "give their lives" to the war. The document I read said, "The vast majority of Black troops in Vietnam are placed on the front lines... to fight and die for this war." This shows how this war was a way to fight a whole different war outside of prejudice in America.

What role did the media have in changing Americans' opinions on the Vietnam War? Use specifics and details to support your response.

The media had the ability to change the opinions of pro-war supporters because it gave them a new perspective on how people were being treated across the world without U.S. citizens knowing. One line in this poster says "Organize your community to protest the war..." showing how they were trying to convince the pro-war supporters to support the end of the war.

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Military police prevent protesters from entering the Pentagon (1967) 

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This document shows us that the anti war movement was becoming a non - peaceful movement now that people are going to storm the capital over it. When citizens are willing to storm the capital over something, this means that it had to had been something planned and thought about, and something that they are willing to get in trouble for. The media had to have a big effect on this happening because, like I said before, this had to have been planned and to have so much people support thin event, it would have had to been planned through the media.

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From Document 4, we learn a little about the Anti-War movement from the perspective of David Harris. It shows how he was against the war because it went against everything that he learned the US stood for when fighting wars; freedom, justice, and the rights of the people. He tells us that he wanted to go to West Point before this war, but that changed when he saw that the war was being fought because of petty dictators. The war was perceived negatively by people that were against it because of how it wasn’t being fought for justice or freedom, but instead was being fought because the US wanted to gain and keep the population in servitude of the beliefs that the US had.

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This document shows the anti-war movement by telling how the soldiers have given up on fighting the war, and are ready to go home, and finish the war. They no longer support the cause that they are fighting for, and are ready to be done with the war. They have started to disobey their orders, get in fights with their comrades, take drugs, and refuse to do what they are being told to do. The soldiers have given up on caring about the war, and want to go home. The war was perceived as a bad thing, killing humanity, by those who were against it. Since these soldiers no longer believed in what they were fighting for, they started to perceive the war differently than how they did in the beginning. The soldiers have started to desert their post, and are reported as absent from their post, which shows just how much they are fed up with the fighting. The war was no longer a political issue, but a fight between what is morally right or wrong.

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What does your selected document tell us about the anti-war movement? Use specifics and details to support your response.

The selected document I choose highlights the anti-war movement on a more personal note. David the writer of this document grew up in a family that respected the military in every aspect. He says how the war feels like a betrayal of all the values that his family celebrated. He thought Americans fought for freedom, justice and self determination. He also felt this way a lot through what he saw on the media. The show "Victory at Sea" persuaded him a lot to fight for righteous reasons.

How was the war perceived by those who were against it? Use specifics and details to support your response.

Those that were against the war viewed it as an unjust conflict. He thought that there was no point for the U.S. to be involved. They thought that they have more then enough of the freedom that they have.

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What does your selected document tell us about the anti-war movement?

Document four shows the betrayal felt by members of the anti-war movement, especially those who grew up believing in the American beliefs of freedom and justice. David Harris, the author of the document, described how he was raised in a patriotic environment, having a WWII veteran in his family and the influence of media showing that Americans fought for worthy causes. However, when the Vietnam war began, his views changed. He saw it as a conflict led by “petty dictators” who aimed to maintain control over people. This shows that many people in the anti-war movement opposed the war not because they were against the military, but because they believed that the US was contradicting it’s own values.

How was the war perceived by those who were against it?

Those who were against the war perceived it as a betrayal of American values and a way for corrupt leaders to maintain power. In document four, Harris expresses his disappointment that the war was not about defending democracy like previous wars but instead it was about keeping “a good portion of the population in servitude.” This suggests that many people apart of the anti-war movement believed that the US was supporting harsh government rather than promoting freedom.

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What does your selected document have to say about the anti-war movement?
Document 4 illustrates just how disillusioned the anti-war movement of the Vietnam War era was. Draft resister David Harris describes that he was indoctrinated as a child that American wars were fought to impose freedom and justice. As he came to know from his experience the Vietnam War only served to desecrate those ideals in order to support repressive regimes and not democracy. His testimony underscores one of the central claims of the anti-war movement: that the U.S. was not acting as a force for good, but were instead engaging in an unjust war. The majority of anti-war activists, like Harris, believed that the war was immoral and protested against military operations, government actions, and the draft.

How did anti-war activists see the war?
The war was viewed by its critics as an unjust war that was contrary to American values. Harris' statement suggests that, rather than fighting for freedom, America was backing dictatorships that were oppressing their own people. The war, in the opinion of many of its critics, was unnecessary and immoral, a move to expand political power rather than to expand democracy. For resisters like Harris, being engaged in the war was tantamount to treason against their own principles of justice and freedom. His quote reflects the broader anti-war feeling, as many Americans are becoming increasingly cognizant of its political and human cost.

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1. What does your selected document tell us about the anti-war movement? Use specifics and details to support your response.

Document 3 is a picture of religious authority figures protesting against the Vietnam War. Through this selected document, it demonstrates how not only were normal American citizens against the war, but leading authority figures and religious prospects were against the killings and harm that was going on. One of the posters in this image states “For Christs Sake Stop the Killing”. Through this statement it shows how people were against all the violence entailed in this war and how it is truly not what God would want to happen.

2. What role did the media have in changing Americans' opinions on the Vietnam War? Use specifics and details to support your response.

The role that the media played in changing Americans’ opinions and views on the war is that originally, the media convinced people that there was not a lot of fighting happening and that it was a very fair war. However, as the truths were revealed through the media and changes were made, it was understood that these were all lies. Therefore, Document 3 proves how the truths of the war were revealed and many people started to understand how much killing was truly going on.

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This document shows that the anti-war movement was so big that everyone protested even priests. On the priest's signs, we can see that they have written things like "Stop the killing" and "Stop inciting World War 3." The signs tell us that they were fearing for their lives during this time and we were terrified of a potential World War 3.

The war was perceived negatively by people who were not in support of it. Similarly to the last question this question also requires looking at the priest's signs. Again we can see that they are against the war and are scared that this war could ignite World War 3. The priests clearly do not like the war and did not like any ideas of war coming to america.

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If America's soul becomes totally poisoned, part of the autopsy must read "Vietnam." - Martin Luther King Jr. (1967)

Martin Luther King Jr.'s quote explains the spirtual damage that he belived was coming from the Vietnam War that was caused by the United States. He thought it was very wrong that it "poinsed" the soul of the U.S., meaning it caused some serious damage for what America stood for. The anti-war movement was about more then just stopping the war, it was about calling out the U.S. for fighting in a foreign country.

Antiwar supporters were usually seen as unpatriotic people. Many people believed that if you did not support the war in Vietnam, you were simply disrespecting the country and all the soldiers fighting there. The government and all the people that supported the war felt the anti-war protests would make the U.S. much weaker.

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Document 4 illustrates the profound disillusionment of a Vietnam War draft resister, David Harris, who saw the war as a violation of American principles of freedom and justice. To him, the war stood for "servitude," opposite what he knew by growing up with a patriotic family. The opponents of the war typically felt it was an unjust and immoral project, and war supporters condemned them as being unpatriotic or cowards. The anti-war movement, as depicted in the paper, is a major moral crisis, with the media exercising a very influential role in transforming the world's opinion by revealing the brutal realities of the war.

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Those who were against the war thought it was only for petty dictators who wanted to keep the population serving them. In document 4, the writer explains how when they were growing up they wanted to join the army to fight for the justice and rights of others, but as they grew they percieved the army as a place where dictators wanted a portion of the population to subject to them instead of fighting for the rights of American people. This document tells me that through the anti-war movement, people started to form their own opinions and ran with it. It seems like many made up their minds and it became difficult for those opinions to be changed.

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This document tells us about the public feeling on the war in Vietnam. The image shows that the author is saying that the government can not fool everyone all the time which ties in to the anti-war sentiment. This image shows how the media changed the view on the war because this image which was made by the media is telling the public the government can not make all of us think the war is good all the no matter what happens in it. This also shows how the media can change a public opinion because it is telling people to join a march on Washington to convince the government to bring the military out of Vietnam showing their anti-war sentiment.

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The essay depicts that people in the anti-war movement felt the Vietnam War was contrary to American values. David Harris shows that he grew up thinking America represented freedom and justice, but the war was exactly the opposite. He felt the war was to help bad leaders stay in power and to hurt regular people. Harris even wanted to go to West Point before he realized what the war was all about.

One of the questions this paper answers is "Why did they protest the war?" — because they felt the war was unjust and not something America should be fighting for. Another question it answers is "How did they protest the war?" — David Harris would not be drafted and became a draft resister. This is proof that some of them protested by not fighting. People like Harris wanted to stop a war that they knew was wrong.