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    The Turbulent 1960s..

    Uploaded by

    Joseph Karanja

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    The Turbulent 1960s: American Society, politics, and culture

    Name of the Student

    Name of the Instructor

    Department, Institutional Affiliation

    Course Code: Course Title

    Professor's Name

    Due Date
    2

    The Turbulent 1960s: American Society, politics, and culture.

    The 1960s were a deep transformation in American society, politics, and culture. The

    decade was a departure from the consensus and conformity of the 1950s to a period

    characterized by turmoil and social upheaval (McDonnell et al., 2013). As a youth of that

    time, I was in a dilemma with the difficulties of the Vietnam War and the influence of the

    war on our society. The Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964, which was the main reason for the

    increase of U. S. involvement in Vietnam, showed the government lies about the intelligence

    to justify the military actions (Clinton Poskozim, 2016). This incident completely shattered

    any illusion of a just and noble cause for the war, leaving many like myself to doubt the

    moral justification for our participation.

    The draft lottery was the dark cloud that hovered over the young Americans,

    including me, at that time. The possibility of being drafted into the Vietnam War triggered

    the people to face their personal beliefs and values about the war. Since I was a person who

    loved peace and was against conflict, the thought of being forced into a war I did not believe

    in was frightening and turned me into a fighter. Tim O'Brien's story in "On the Rainy River"

    shows the personal conflict he describes, related to the moral confusion and the feeling of

    uselessness that many young people go through when faced with the draft (O'Brien, 2017).

    Moreover, the draft lottery system was a source of anxiety and unpredictability as it

    introduced an element of randomness and uncertainty to the lives of young people, thus

    making their futures even more unpredictable. The draft was the only thing that people could

    not avoid participating in. Hence, it was entirely based on the lottery of birth dates. The lack

    of agency of the many who were drafted made them feel that they were being treated

    unfairly, which resulted in the growing antiwar movements and protests that were happening

    all over the country. The draft lottery made the people think not only about their individual

    beliefs but also about the social and political situation of the Vietnam War. O'Brien's moving
    3

    account in "On the Rainy River" has the emotions and moral conflicts that were why many

    young men felt like this during the time, which shows how the draft affected the lives of

    many people and the whole generation.

    On the other hand, the civil rights movement was an essential factor in the

    social and political structure of the 1960s. The struggle for equality and justice was the main

    driving force behind the numerous protests and movements in the United States, which also

    questioned the power systems already in place in American society. The people who

    displayed bravery and persistence in the fight against injustice in the Civil Rights movement,

    both in my community and all over America, made me feel a sense of brotherhood and

    responsibility to be part of a just society.

    The struggle of the African Americans for their rights made me realize that even in

    the toughest times, one should fight against oppression and injustice, and it was a part of my

    life. The civil rights movement was more than a movement that fought against the racial

    segregation and discrimination; it was also a movement that opened the way for the social

    and political changes. The activists such as Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and many

    others, got the people to do the right thing, and as a result, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and

    the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were started. The most significant accomplishments that were

    achieved during the Civil Rights Movement were the landmarks of the long term struggle for

    equal rights and justice in America.

    I witnessed the wonderful change of grassroots organizing and nonviolent resistance,

    which was extremely impressive to me, and it inspired me to be a responsible citizen and to

    become a social justice advocate, which is still with me now. The civil rights movement of

    the 60s is a symbol of the enduring importance of group actions and the endeavor for a more

    equal and inclusive society.


    4

    In addition to the Baby Boom generation and the young culture that emerged and the

    rise of youth culture in the late 1960s, these two aspects greatly shaped American society.

    The reason that this group was so huge and strong was the big change, the counter-culture,

    the anti-establishment, and the rejection of the traditional norms and values. Having the youth

    culture was full of the rebellion and the desire for change that both the longing and

    excitement that I felt as a young person at this age were.

    The events of the 1960s and their enduring impact on American society clearly show

    that the same themes are still shaping our world today. Nowadays, social justice, political

    activism, and intergenerational conflict are still the main points of contemporary discussions

    and struggles. Although the details may have changed, the primary goal of achieving a more

    just and equal society remains; therefore, the 1960s must be seen as the time when the issues

    of inequality were raised and discussed, thus becoming the main symbol of the rebellious 60s.
    5

    References

    Amanda Miller; Vietnam-era Antiwar Protests (map)- Mapping American Social Movements

    Project. (n.d.-b). https://depts.washington.edu/moves/antiwar_map_protests.shtml

    Clinton Poskozim. (2016, April 4). Tonkin Gulf incident from PBS’s American Experience

    LBJ [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI8VGchVk7E

    McDonnell Technology Services. (2013, December 29). The Century: America’s Time -

    1960-1964: Poisoned Dreams [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?

    v=93iBar-VrqA

    O’Brien, T. (2017, December 1). Tim O’Brien as Grail Knight: “On the Rainy

    River.” https://journals.openedition.org/jsse/1864?lang=en

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