Thursday, November 3, 2016

Historical and Rhetorical Drafts: Vietnam War Protest Music

Jamie Porter
Stephanie Brown
Historical Context Rough Draft
November 1, 2016

The History of the Vietnam War
            The Vietnam War started in 1954, following a series of conflicts between North Vietnam and South Vietnam that had taken place over a number of years. The war was located in various locations in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Though the war was officially between the communistic North Vietnam and anti-communist South Vietnam, the two sides had a number of powerful allies that came to their aid. North Vietnam was backed by the Soviet Union and China, as well as other communist nations. South Vietnam was assisted by the United States, Australia, Thailand, and South Korea, all of which were allied against communism.
            America was one of the most powerful influences in the Vietnam War, which became of great conflict back at home. In 1962, there were already over 9,000 US troops in Vietnam, whereas in the year priors there was only around 500 troops. Three years later, in June 1965, 82,000 US troops were stationed in Vietnam. This incredible increase in numbers represents the draft that had been occurring back in the United States, and was a number that continued to grow every year the United States remained involved with the war. The year that the United States was most involved was in 1969, in which over 500,000 US military troops were placed in Vietnam. It the America’s strong involvement in the war, especially in 1969, that caused for a great amount of issues back home.
            In the time period of 1968-1969, a large amount of antiwar protests were appearing all over the country. The anti war protests were started by a small group of peace-loving activists who were opposed to the war and desired peace. This group was known as Students for a Democratic Society, or SDS. Similar groups appeared in many other states, spread across a number of US campuses, increasingly growing in popularity. This protest became a national movement when the US became more violent against North Vietnam, conducting mass bombings. Those who protested the war desired peace, and did not like America’s involvement in the murder of innocent Vietnamese civilians, believing the war to be “undemocratic.”
            On October 1, 1967, there was the largest anti-war protest in American history. Starting at the Lincoln memorial, over 100,000 protestors marched to the Pentagon in Washington DC, where they were stopped by armed personnel, but remained peaceful. Other large antiwar protests occurred on college campuses, as a result of the antiwar movement being very popular amongst younger individuals. The antiwar protests became more urgent the more stories of what was happening over in Vietnam got reported back. One event that made a large impact on not just the antiwar movement but the nation as a whole was the My Lai massacre. In March 1968, a company of US soldiers murdered over 500 Vietnamese citizens, including women, children, and the elderly. Such an act fueled the antiwar movement, adding to the thousands of lives that were lost in Vietnam.
            One form of protest that grew in popularity over the time span of the war was called “draft dodging.” From 1968-1969, approximately 40,000 young men were drafted every month, with a death count of American soldiers increasing every day. From the beginning of US involvement in the war till 1973, the year in which President Nixon removed troops, a total of over 500,000 American men fled from the draft. Many of these men fled to Canada in order to escape federal consequences, choosing to leave their homes behind rather than be sent to Vietnam and fight a seemingly hopeless war. Refusing the draft, or not enlisting was a federal offence, and many other individuals were arrested and jailed as a result of this form of protest.
            One of the main outlets for the antiwar protests movement during this time period was music, and that can be identified through the music that was created at the time. There was a great deal of anti-war protest songs that were created over the course of the war period. Popular antiwar songs include Masters of War, “Feeling Like I’m Fixin’ to Die” and “Give Peace a Chance.”  The songs provided individuals with outlets of emotions, as well as fueling the antiwar movement, they containing ideas such as how the government was taking advantage of the US citizens. In Bob Dylan’s, “Masters of War,” it speaks of how the government sits back and sends more and more people off to war while they watch them die. Each song gives an interesting insight into the views of the people during this time period. These songs reached as great deal of people at the national level. Coming from such popular and well-known people, this form of protest was very influential. Essentially, each artist that created a song that protested the war provided the antiwar movement with a new anthem to live by, and the public responded accordingly.  
            The Vietnam War was tearing America apart from the inside. There was a great amount of people who were strongly against the war effort, while on the other side there was still a majority of people who supported the government, and by association the war. On November 3, 1969, President Nixon made a broadcast to the public calling for national unity in terms of the war effort. He appealed to the “silent majority,” referring to the individuals who supported the war effort yet remained silent in the midst of so much antiwar protest. This broadcast was created to encourage the calming of the antiwar movement as a whole, attempting to unify the country after the war had divided it so significantly.         
            President Nixon called for the end of the draft in 1972, before the withdrawal of US troops in 1973. The war finally came to an end on April 30, 1975. In total, over 3 million people were killed in Vietnam, with over half of these deaths including Vietnamese civilians.
Approximately 58,000 Americans were killed in Vietnam. The large amount of Americans that were killed, coupled with the draft that caused 1/3 of the troops to be sent to war, cause the Vietnam War to be an event that divided the country.

QUESTIONS:
1. Should I give less information about the war itself and more about what was happening back in the US?
2. Is all the information that I’m giving – dates, events, etc., - clear enough?
3. Is the structure of my paper organized enough?  



Works Cited

Hillstrom, Kevin, and Laurie Collier Hillstrom. The Vietnam Experience: A Concise Encyclopedia of American Literature, Songs, and Films. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1998. Print.

Tully, John Day., Matthew Masur, and Brad Austin. Understanding and Teaching the Vietnam War. Madison, Wisc.: U of Wisconsin, 2013. Print.




Jamie Porter
Stephanie Brown
Rhetorical Context Rough Draft
November 1, 2016

Protest Songs of the Vietnam War
            The Vietnam War was an important event in the history of the United States, producing a large highly influential protest movement that shaped American culture. With the ominous draft that resulted in large amount of US troops being shipped over to die in Vietnam hanging above American head’s, many people banded together in opposition, demanding their pleads for peace to be heard. One of the most impactful forms of protest that went against the war came in the form of songs and music. Artists such as Bob Dylan and John Lennon produced music with emotionally influential messages, begging for peace as well as highlighting the horrors that were involved in the war. These songs provided fuel for the antiwar protest movement, spreading the concepts and thoughts that were held by many in the movement. The songs also worked as unification elements in the protest movement to those who were involved, especially towards those who were directly affected by the war and the draft. Antiwar protest songs were some of the most powerful forms of protest rhetoric during this time period, spreading across the nation and touching the lives and thoughts of many American citizens.
            There were a large number of protest songs created during the Vietnam War, which implies not only the popularity of the subject matter but also how many people held similar opinions regarding the war. Artists such as Bob Dylan, Country Joe & the Fish, John Lennon, and Bob Seger are only a few individuals who created popular protest songs. This form of protest rhetoric had the ability to be very accessible to a large population of people. It was available to the entire nation and beyond, therefore spreading the stories of the horrors of the war and people’s growing desire for peace. People no longer were required to witness the physical protestors holding signs or read the papers in order to be exposed to the antiwar protest. These songs could be heard in their homes on the radio, on in their cars. The easy accessibility of these songs as a form of protest allowed for many people to be influenced by it, and spread to the protest movement as a whole much easier.
            The protest movement that was created during this time period allowed for a connection to be made between the artists and the identity of people that they call upon. A majority of the songs that were created tell stories of the soldiers that were over in Vietnam, or from the perspective of people who had loved ones die in the war. They provide an interesting perspective of events that are almost unspeakable, sometimes speaking in rather flippant tones about serious issues. This can be heard in Country Joe & the Fish’s song, “I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die.” In the song, they say, “Whoopee! we're all gonna die” (Country Joe). The identity that this calls upon is those who are directly affected by the war, whether it is those who are being sent to war themselves, or those who have loved ones being sent to Vietnam. These songs refers to both their memories and experiences, bringing them into the light to show the world the horrors and heartache that came with the war and with the draft.
During this time, there were different areas of the antiwar movement that were trying to achieve different goals, based on the groups of people that they directed towards. Because of the wide spread reach of the protest songs, their main purpose was to educate people on the horrors of the war. Each song spoke of the wrongness and shocks of the war, providing their audience with perspectives of boys that were absolutely terrified of the war. They painted stories of the men that died in Vietnam, such as Bob Seger’s song “2+2=?” which mentions a friend from high school who’s, “buried in the mud/ over foreign jungle land” (Seger). The horrors and fear that were described in each song conveyed how horrendous it was. Large populations of people were exposed to the various songs and their messages, and were able to have an insight into the war that they might have not had before. The songs have the power to change listener’s perspectives. It is for this reason that these protest songs are meant to educate people about the war and everything that it involves, and allow them to decide for themselves whether or not they want to join the antiwar movement. They encourage US citizens to take a stand. The protest songs also provide a unifying effect for the antiwar movement. Each song provided an anthem for those protesting the war, something to stay strong with, and to remind them why they were against the war in the first place. The stories that were told through the songs have the persuasive purpose of influencing those who listen to back the antiwar movement, adding their voices to those who call for an end of America’s involvement in the Vietnam War.
            The rhetorical purpose behind these protest songs is to persuade, and this is done through pathos and logos. Every song is very emotional, since they speak of multiple deaths that inevitably come from war and of loved ones lost. Many of the artists sound angry, confessing their frustrations for the war and everything that it brings. This emotion can be felt though each song, and listeners can hear that. This pure emotion from the artists adds to the audience’s own emotions after hearing the songs. The sadness that is felt by hearing and understanding these songs has the effect of changing listener’s perspectives of the war. It gives people a different side of the war to look at while being emotionally influence, and that helps them to be persuaded to join the antiwar effort. They also influence people with the logic that they present, or rather, the lack thereof. Many of the songs present information of the war to listeners, but in ways that highlight the ridiculousness of the logic. For example, in Country Joe and the Fish’s song, “I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die,” it says, “So put down your books and pick up a gun/ We're gonna have a whole lotta fun” (Country Joe). This phrase seems ridiculous, but it has the effect of making the war itself seem ridiculous. Songs such as this encourage listeners to realize not only how horrendous the war is, but how it is completely needless. Thousands of American soldiers were dying for a war they did not need to be involved in. The rhetorical techniques that were used by these protest songs allowed for the audience to understand the messages and emotions behind the songs. This assisted the overall persuasiveness of the protest music, and encouraged many individuals to join with the antiwar movement, as well as unifying those who were already involved with common feelings and ideas.
Music is a very powerful form of protest, having the ability to reach large populations of people and being popular enough that people will listen, and continue listening. During the Vietnam War, the protest songs that were created became very popular, and added a great strength to the antiwar protest as a whole. The stories and experiences that are expressed in each song cause an emotional response, encouraging listeners to join the antiwar movement and get the American troops out of Vietnam. These songs appeal to the identity of those affected directly by the war, such as those being deployed or have loved ones that are being drafted. The protest songs have the important role of informing the American public of the horrors of war, and those who are affected by it.

QUESTIONS:
1. Do I go into the pathos and logos enough, or should I elaborate how the songs use those techniques more?
2. Do I need more direct citations from both the songs and the sources?
3. Am I being too vague?

Works Cited

Bradley, Doug, and Craig Hansen Werner. We Gotta Get out of This Place: The Soundtrack of the Vietnam War. Print.

Clymer, Kenton J. The Vietnam War: Its History, Literature and Music. El Paso, TX: Texas Western, 1998. Print.

Dylan, Bob. Masters of War. Bob Dylan. Columbia Records, 1963.

Lennon, John. Give Peace a Chance. John Lennon. John Lennon and Yoko Ono, 1969.

Seger, Bob. 2+2=? The Bob Seger System. Capitol Records, 1968.















No comments:

Post a Comment