Who/what: A young
American man burns his draft card in protest of the Vietnam War as an act of
defiance of the draft and of the war. During the Vietnam War, college students
and young US citizens began to protest in a more visible way. Burning of draft
cards was a political statement that began to spread in college campuses and in
cities across America, and those who participated became a group whose identity
was defined by their objection to violence and the US’s interventionist policy.
Where: These
draft-card burnings took place throughout the US, but main protests often took
place in college campuses as young people began to exercise their voice. Protests
in campuses began with demonstrations at Yale and the first draft card burnings
in New York, and included the University of Kansas and UC Berkeley among
others.
When: The first
draft card burnings took place in 1964, around the time when students really began to get
involved in protests, and more were burned the following year in a protest at
UC Berkeley. Protests, including those involving the burning of draft cards,
continued until the end of the war in 1975.
Why: Burning
draft cards was not only an illegal action and a very visible form of protest,
but it also served to create a sense of identity among those who protested the
war. It’s an action that is only present for a brief period of time, unlike
other artifacts, but its temporary nature makes it something that ties the
identities of these individuals together even stronger.
No comments:
Post a Comment