Choose ONE of the following four positions: radical protester, moderate antiwar activist, someone who chose not to get involved, and Vietnam War supporter.

Name:
Professor’s name:
Course:
Date:
Moderate Antiwar Activist
I am writing this letter to throw my weight behind the antiwar activism going on at the university and around the country. It is entrenched in our constitution that it is our basic right to protest and there could be no better time to exercise that right than in the current situation considering the irresponsible move by our government to send troops to Vietnam. Imagine what the world would be like if we all remained silent about these issues of national interest. Ours would be a sad story because there is enough evidence from the past on what happened to our country when the crowds chose to remain silent.
In this regard, I wish to express my support for moderate antiwar activism. Change does not come without pushing for it, especially when politicians do not uphold the spirit of the founding fathers to have a democratic system of governance. In the words of Abraham Lincoln a democracy is “a government of the people by the people and for people,” (Lincoln 1) something which is greatly lacking in the Nixon administration. Let us not forget that we have only one country and that there is no substitute for this beautiful land of ours. Actions by the current regime seem to be geared towards destroying a country that has observed peace and stability for a long time, something which came at a huge price in the past. No one would want to go back to those times which is why I call upon my fellow students to come out and voice their concerns against the war in Vietnam.

Well, we have all watched on national television how thousands of people are losing their lives. What is even more disturbing is that a majority of the victims are innocent civilians who die in extremely inhumane circumstances. Whereas this is unacceptable, it is ironical that our country that is known for upholding human rights is in the midst of these crimes. It may also come as a shock to many that the issues we here about the Vietnam war are mere propaganda accelerated by hatred. Those who want to see us divided are using the war politics to divide and rule us. War leads to discrimination by making followers of the propagandists believe that a certain group is unwanted thus causing more instability, something which is not good for the country. The war in Vietnam is also causing massive environmental damage. Our troops are using herbicides which they spray over the vegetation, all in the name of countering the guerilla warfare tactic by the Vietnam soldiers. Little does our government realize that they are adding toxic substances into the environment that will kill many organisms and plants or even interfere with their genetic composition. We are also left to wonder why the government is coercing its citizens to support the war in Vietnam whereas America is known to be a free state. We cannot allow the government to curtail our liberty at the expense of patriotism. What is bad remains to be bad, not even patriotism can justify it. Economists will also tell you that the war is doing nothing but harm our economy. Millions of dollars are being spent to finance the war whose benefit is not known. The money would have been better utilized if it was spent on sectors that will grow the economy.
In this regard, I continue to support the recent strikes against the war in Vietnam. Since time immemorial strikes have been found to an effective tool of activism especially for the majority weak population. In the present situation, strikes will equally play a significant role. However, even as we stage protests, I advocate for modest demonstrations because the ultimate goal of all these actions is peace. I am of this view because some of the events that have happened in the recent past have been in bad faith. For instance, I concur with those who argue that the action by some students to occupy Williams Hall was ill informed and not in line with the primary objective of the planned demonstration against the war in Vietnam. What I support are peaceful protests, a position equally held by the university. Initially, there was an agreement in the university that the protest would be held for one day and solely to push for the withdrawal of US troops from Cambodia. The turn of events that saw the takeover of a hall goes against the rights of others, especially students who wanted to attend classes. Modesty requires that we be mindful of others even as we go about our activism against the war. In this regard, I think the university was modest when they allowed those who would like to strike to be allocated deferred grades plus sit in for one paper. What followed was disruption of the university activities leading to the arrest of some students. I would not wish for the same events to happen again in the name of antiwar activism. Even as we oppose the war, I believe moderate activism will eliminate such outcomes.
We should also know that it is the basic right of each student to participate in university activities and attend classes. Any action that denies some students these rights is counterproductive to the antiwar movement. Actions by some students to disrupt the corps of cadets, however much we don’t support this system were unwarranted. As some have rightly argued, this amounts to dictatorship. We should allow other students to join the antiwar movement willingly rather than coercing them because then they would be fighting for a cause they do not believe in. Perhaps the best strategy to adopt in the wake of all these events is the “soft” strike policy. The fact that a majority of the Senate members were in favor of the “soft” strike is an indication modest is the best way to tackle the issue.
Having said this, it means that I disagree with those who support the war in Vietnam, the radical supporters, and those who choose to remain silent. I especially find it absurd for people to argue that the war in Vietnam will lead to economic growth. The proponents of the war say that it creates jobs for many companies and individuals who provide goods and services that facilitate the war. They include manufacturing companies that manufacture chemicals and weapons. The supporters of the war also think that more money exchanges hand as war parties buy weapons for war, which leads to economic growth. This leaves me to wonder what is the point in having economic growth whereas the said people the growth is supposed to benefit are dying. The social cost of losing lives is too high compared to the economic benefits arising from war. Whereas it is also true that the war may lead to the discovery of tremendous technological advancements, some of the innovations are too dangerous to be used on the human race. Take for instance the nuclear bombs dropped in Japan by our government in the past, destroying lives of entire cities. Unfortunately, President Nixon has allowed the same tactic to be used on innocent people in Vietnam. The government is using the napalm, an extremely explosive flammable component that is being dropped on civilians in Vietnam. I challenge those supporting the war to exercise empathy since we all belong to the human race and have a right to life.
What is more, the reasons for going to war in Vietnam were selfish and unwise. President Johnson was once quoted saying that the reason for staging the war in Vietnam was because the reputation of America was at stake. It is unfortunate that reputation came first rather than peace. The communism war is a futile war since you cannot fight people whom you would later expect to be on your side. The US long lost the trust and the backing of the Vietnam people the moment our government started taking innocent lives. The war in Vietnam should stop immediately and let the Vietnamese national liberation movement carry out its duties. I urge all those supporting the war to reconsider their stand and join me in the antiwar activism.
While we want our concerns to reach President Nixon we shouldn’t also be overly aggressive. In the last few days, we have had a group of radical protestors who would do anything including the use of violence to be heard. Whereas the intentions are good, I strongly oppose the radical protests. I have heard some of them argue that a “soft” strike will achieve little in persuading the government to act. I think we should allow the government reasonable time to respond to the “soft” strike order considering that troops won’t be withdrawn overnight as it may require technical and logistical planning to do so. Also, to force some students to take part in an action they do not voluntarily subscribe to is completely wrong. As antiwar activists, what we ought to do is to show those who are reluctant to join the movement the need to join hands against the Nixon policies. In this regard, those who want to attend classes should be given room do so without any interference since getting an education is equally important. I also feel that calls to have a complete “hard” strike or nothing at all by the radical protestors is in their self-interest. We know that some of these students have political ambitions which they want to advance at the expense of the majority student body. It is only fair for every student to do what he or she pleases under the current circumstances. It also is unfortunate that as a result of the radical protests some students were shot dead complicating the issues further. Had we stuck with the “soft” strike, perhaps we could have saved lives.
However, this does not mean that I encourage students not to be involved in the moderate antiwar activism. Those who choose to remain silent are in fact allowing the government to continue with its misplaced policies. As I mentioned earlier, our country was founded on a dream of democracy. Our forefathers could not allow the colonialists or even any leader take that dream away from them. Some sacrificed their lives, a good job and much more to achieve that dream. The Nixon regime seems to be taking these gains for granted by making decisions that are selfish and ill-advised. In light of this reality, I urge each one of us to demand back our sovereignty. Our constitution appreciates the power of unity when it says “We the people,” and if we decide not to get involved that power will be stolen from us by selfish leaders. We the people have what it takes to decide our fate and not the government to determine our fate. Let us uphold the spirit of our forefathers and fight for the withdrawal of American soldiers from Cambodia to the last breath.
We also need to acknowledge the fact that our soldiers are human beings who deserve respect in the way they are treated. The military is not machinery to be used indiscriminately by those in power without due process and consultation. Let the military be known for its good in protecting our borders and the interests of Americans rather than the interests of propagandists. Let them go to war when it is necessary. For this reason, I believe our soldiers in Vietnam are worth fighting for, and it is the least I can ask of those who are reluctant to join the movement.
Lastly, let us think of the homeless families, the widowed woman, and the child who will sleep hungry in Vietnam due to the baseless action by the president to go to the war in a foreign land. Those families and children desire peace and freedom as much as we do. They yearn for the once peaceful family times. We cannot enjoy freedom while our brothers and sisters in Vietnam are spending sleepless nights in the cold. If we do not act now, our children will hold us accountable for allowing such bad things to happen to other people. Good news is that we can stop this through the moderate antiwar activism. Let us spare some time for a good cause to make the world peaceful again.
In conclusion, I reiterate my support for moderate antiwar war activism. It is our constitutional right to stage a demonstration for what we believe in. The war in Vietnam is claiming lives of thousands of soldiers and innocent civilians and we should stand against this. The war is also degrading the beautiful environment through the use of harmful chemicals. The said benefits resulting from war are nothing compared to the huge adverse socioeconomic effects. I also discourage radical protests that lead to violence and in one case five students were shot dead by the police. Additionally, I urge those who are reluctant to take part in the protests to join the movement because together our cries can be heard. As the adage goes “United we stand divided we fall” I look forward to a united student movement for the good of our country.
Works Cited
Lincoln, Abraham, and Roy Prentice Basler. Abraham Lincoln: His speeches and writings. Da Capo Press, 2001.