The Vietnam War
One singular death is horrifying in itself. Thousands upon thousands of deaths is something that the world should have never experienced but did when the United States entered the Vietnam War. Of course, the United States joined the South Vietnamese to fight communism, however, there were thousands of innocent civilian lives lost. The draft often stirred violent controversy that divided the country, and stressed U.S. soldiers resorted to alcohol, marijuana, and heroin. Support for our entrance into the war was justifiable in the beginning, but later, opposition to the war gained motivation.
United States has been divided before, back in the 1800’s, during the Civil War. But nearly 120 years later, we were divided again on the controversial topic of the Vietnam War. The draft posed numerous problems for those eligible to be dragged into a war most did not believe in. For example, the draft ripped 18 year olds away from futures they were struggling to build, educations they were attempting to further, and lives they were just beginning to start. Violent protests broke out across the country, such as rallies where many Americans burned their draft cards in protest against the war. Other teenage men fled to Canada. Most protests were peaceful, however, others often turned into something entirely else, involving violence. In addition to the problems occurring back home, the soldiers taking part in fighting …show more content…
Well, really just one huge reason: Communism. Ever since the Cold War, we had believed it was our sacred duty to protect the outside world from the seemingly inevitable spread, or attempted spread of communism. However, that does not excuse the fact that the United States made the unfair decision to enforce the draft, which ruined the lives for many 18 year olds who had their entire lives ahead of them, as a great percentage of the soldiers were brutally
One singular death is horrifying in itself. Thousands upon thousands of deaths is something that the world should have never experienced but did when the United States entered the Vietnam War. Of course, the United States joined the South Vietnamese to fight communism, however, there were thousands of innocent civilian lives lost. The draft often stirred violent controversy that divided the country, and stressed U.S. soldiers resorted to alcohol, marijuana, and heroin. Support for our entrance into the war was justifiable in the beginning, but later, opposition to the war gained motivation.
United States has been divided before, back in the 1800’s, during the Civil War. But nearly 120 years later, we were divided again on the controversial topic of the Vietnam War. The draft posed numerous problems for those eligible to be dragged into a war most did not believe in. For example, the draft ripped 18 year olds away from futures they were struggling to build, educations they were attempting to further, and lives they were just beginning to start. Violent protests broke out across the country, such as rallies where many Americans burned their draft cards in protest against the war. Other teenage men fled to Canada. Most protests were peaceful, however, others often turned into something entirely else, involving violence. In addition to the problems occurring back home, the soldiers taking part in fighting …show more content…
Well, really just one huge reason: Communism. Ever since the Cold War, we had believed it was our sacred duty to protect the outside world from the seemingly inevitable spread, or attempted spread of communism. However, that does not excuse the fact that the United States made the unfair decision to enforce the draft, which ruined the lives for many 18 year olds who had their entire lives ahead of them, as a great percentage of the soldiers were brutally