Were the Anti-War protesters during Vietnam Patriots? or were they Unamerican?

Question

Would you make the same argument for anti-war protestors today?

Answer 1

Neither. They were American citizens expressing their right of free speech.

Answer 2

Well there were many types of anti-Vietnam protesters. The former commandant of the Marine Corps joined the Vietnam veterans against War (until they became whacked-out leftist organization) in opposition to US involvement in Vietnam.
So you could classify some as "patriotic" some as "selfish" (they really opposed the war because the did not want to get drafted) others as joining in on the "fad" it was "cool" to be against the war.
Civil dissent is patriotic. Nihilism and waving the enemy's flag is not.

Answer 3

I have no problem with someone expressing their right to free speech and to protest...But I say they should of protested the government not the troops.

No they weren't patriots - they were spoiled, rich guys that had the chance at college and avoided the draft or girls that didn't have to worry about being drafted.

What was sickening was the protesters taking it out of servicemen that were drafted to fight the war...
How would you feel to finally make it home and someone spit on you.?
How about the guys that came home to curses and things thrown at them?

That is how many treated our troops that served in Vietnam and made it home- those actions were UnAmerican to me.

Answer 4

They were and are Patriots. They ( Protesters) saved my life while I was in the military. They helped get the USA out of an illegal war. during the year 1971 I also protested and I was in the military. Jane Fonda was the best thing that ever happened to the troops during those rough years from 1968 to 1975. I, as a Veteran, support the war protesters 35 years ago and I support them today.

Answer 5

A loaded question indeed. I did not know any protesters personally,however some of my freinds(class of 67') even though they felt the War was wrong,joined the military anyway.We all meet the protesters at LAX upon our return however.Unlike today when the troops arrive home to fanfare and cheers and hugs,We were assaulted,spit on and for years had difficulty obtaining meaningfull employment due to the stigma aattached to the word "Viet-Nam Vet"
I will say though,unless a person puts on the uniform and walks the walk,they are not entitled to criticize those who do.
Criticize the Idiots who place our troops in Harms way needlessly or for their own political gain.
Send nothing to Iraq but Doctors and Food! Bring our troops home!

Answer 6

It is said that Patriot loves his country, but not necessarily his government.

This being said, those that oppose government policy and peacefully demonstrate for change can be the most patriotic--that they do while being beaten or shot while making their appeal they are brave.

p.s. People have said that protesters said or did things to returning vet from Vietnam...that is not the case. Not one documented case was a returning soldier spat on or degraded. The only veterans who were disparaged were "Vets Against the War", which were John Kerry's old chums, who were regularly called traitors, beaten up by police, and under constant state scrutiny.

Answer 7

Of course not.

Vietnam protesters SPIT on the troops coming home, threw rocks, food, and anything else they had.

They directly contributed to all the many problems the vets were facing with their time over there.

The Anti-War protesters today are not as bad, though they are starting to head in that direction. All this "Support The Troops" thing seems kind of artificial to me. It just seems like they are making a conscious decision not to screw up where they did in Vietnam.

Answer 8

Two different wars. The Vietnam protestor spit through junk you name it at our fighting men and women calling them baby killers just down right unamerican if you ask me. The folks for this war is different. At least they take more of there anger out to the ones responsible. Yes they have the right to protest not problem with freedom of speech and the right to assemble. Just one big problem with those that take it out on our fine men and women in uniform.

Answer 9

It's hard to say. It depends on their motives. If they were just trying to discredit or embarass the current administration, I'd say they were not. If they really understood what was at stake in Viet Nam (which seemed big at the time) and understood the ramifications of ending the war before it was won, then I'd say they were being responsible Americans ... and thusly were patriots.

For the anti-war protesters today, I'd say they don't really understand what is at stake. People seem to have forgotten the horror of watching the World Trade Center towers fall. They have forgotten the World Trade Center attack in 1995. They have forgotten Kobar Towers, and the African embassy attacks in 1998. The enemy we're fighting in this war is not Iraq. It's not even Iraqis, for the most part. We defeated the Iraqi army 4 years ago. The enemy we're fighting now is the same one that attacked us in 2001. It's terrorism and terrorist networks. Believe me when I tell you Iraqis are not blowing up their own police forces, power plants, water treatment facilities, ports, oil wells, infrastructure, and political officials. These are the acts of terrorist insurgents. They want to destabilize Iraq to the point that we leave out of frustration and they can take over. This is not paranoid fantasy. Despite the lack of real coverage in the American media, the insurgent (Al-Quaida) push has built a 10-member "Cabinet" to replace the elected Iraqi administration. It wants to wrest control of the Iraqi government from the U.S. backed democratic regime and impose theocratic rule by islamic extremists. What do you think will happen with Iran if their neighbor (Iraq) becomes an ally against Israel and the west? Do you think it will get better?

I don't think that the current group of war protesters are all unpatriotic. I just think many of them are unaware of the real costs of declaring defeat in Iraq. Many, like Cindy Sheehan, have political motivations behind their actions. Others, like Rosie O'Donnell, just want to embarass the President and his entire administration because they have never supported him and this is the only opening they feel confident to exploit. Most, I think, are good, honest Americans who don't want to see any more of us (servicemen and women) die in this war.

I will tell you, though, I tend to harbor quite a bit of negative emotion for folks like Harry Reid and Nancy Polosi, who declare our efforts failed. We are the United States Armed Forces, we do not fail. We are persistent in peace, and unbeatable in war. We will win this war. I don't know anyone who has been to Iraq that doesn't want to go back. The utter contempt and lack of faith by some of our elected leaders is appalling to me. I would think they would have more integrity than to use our efforts as a political tool to try to undermine the President. When they said we didn't have enough troops, we sent more. Now they are saying we have too many and need to bring them home. The fact is, we will win if everyone will just let us do our job. I appreciate the concern at home, and if I get the chance to go back, I will carry it with me, but I will not let negative, personally motivated derision at home discourage me that this is the right course of action at the right time.

Answer 10

An observation over the last 40 years;
Those of us that fought in Nam will defend the rights of the Vietnam protesters more than any other group. (except for Fonda & Kerry)
Think there might be a reason for that?????

The irony tho' is that time around the protesters were Republican instead of Democrat, but were protesting for exactly the same reasons.

Answer 11

Well, the protesters of the Vietnam era started out with good intents. But they got carried away and it became bad when they started protesting against the soldiers. This time around, they aren't protesting against the soldiers, they are protesting against the political part of the war. Hopefully it stays that way.