Prior to the 1960s, the vast majority of Americans had a good amount of trust for institutions and those who served them in government. The 1960s turned out to be a time of tremendous social and political upheaval. Younger generations started questioning the basic foundations of society. There was a demand for equality of race and gender. Also, there was a demand to understand why the United States was embroiled in conflict in Southeast Asia; specifically Vietnam. As a result, America became sharply divided over the issue. Other generations had been asked to go fight in wars overseas. However, the times had changed and this war was different.
One prevailing point of view held during the times by the American people was that our intentions for going to war were sound, but Vietnam was becoming a quagmire. It was a losing battle that carried too great of a price. Socially and economically, the war was tearing this nation apart. Therefore, it was in the best interests of the United States to get out of Vietnam. The countervailing point to this was that we had gone to Vietnam for a reason and we should not leave until the mission was accomplished. This view also was supported by those who feared the spread of the Soviet sphere of communist influence that was a hallmark of the Cold War.
College campuses exploded with antiwar protests during this period, as higher learning institutions became hotbeds of the antiwar movement. This was fueled by the reinstatement of the draft. For the first time since 1942, the U.S. armed forces were conscripting young men and some women to fight. There was a socioeconomic angle to this draft. There were deferments and exemptions available for college students. This meant that young men who did not go to college because they could not afford to do so were the ones that made up the bulk of our troops. This group far outnumbered those of the middle or upper class. Those students who avoided the war by going to...