mattiec

=**Antiwar Student**=

The anti war student movement started at Berkley in 1964, with protesting against freedom of speech. The speech movement spread throughut the Berkley campus, and led to the development of the group, SDS. SDS stands for: Students for a Democractic Society which stretched to universities across the United States. The perspective that the anti war students had on the Vietnam war consisted of multiple points: believed the U.S. wasn't providing freedom for the Vietnamese or Americans, wanted troops home right away, wanted the draft ended, and viewed the U.S. being an imperialist economically towards Vietnam. To fix these problems, the anti war students believed the universities were the center of action to establish a "participatory democracy." This type of democracy is a type of government that emphasizes the involvement from the people. The people have more power, and their say is taken into consideration. Therefore, this allows a larger number of people the same opportunities, which allows success for all, or more people.

Overall, the anti war student movement started out small, and the media helped to spread this movement and other campuses/universities joined the movment instantly. This caused a large number of conflicts between the students and police. For example, at Kent state students protested because of the bombing in Cambodia. Peaceful protests were taking place on campus, and the National Guard was asked to come and maintain order. On May 4, 1970, 4 students were shot to their death. A total of 9 were injured, and out of the 4 shot, 2 weren't protesting. This made the United States realize that the war was tearing the nation apart. This shooting created even more protests at universities, and many schools shut down in fear of more violence. Troops were finally taken out of Vietnam by Nixon, and the protests decreased a good deal. This experience of outrage and rebelliod made the anti war student a symbol of change and rebellion. The United States had to learn how to handle chaos at home, while fighting a war that many didn't support.

These are some letters from me, Lucy, to my mother while attending Berkley in the 1960s, more specifically 1964. I talk about the details of being a Berkley student when the development of the anti war student was just emerging. Dear mother, I know I haven’t written to you in awhile, and you’re probably very worried about me. You know how the college workload is, and with all of the political commotion it’s been hard to stay focused on my studies. I know you and father pay a lot of money for me to go to Berkley, but no worries I’m keeping up my grades. Since August 25, a bunch of students have been returning from the SNCC and CORE volunteer associations. They were all very proud of the work they did, and it’s inspired me to join one of these groups. I heard that there might even be an organization just for Jewish college students who oppose the Vietnam War, which makes me very excited! Hopefully that wasn’t just a rumor…Tell daddy I say hello and that I miss him!

Your loving daughter, Lucy

Dear mother, I’m sure you’ve heard about it in the news, but at school the other day there was a huge protest! This is how it started…there is a spot by the Sather Gate which people always use for political causes. Well, the campus denied us this space, which led to a huge uproar. Everyone felt that their freedom of speech was being threatened, and we all had to act out immediately because obviously it’s ridiculous that the campus wouldn’t allow us to exercise our political beliefs. A young man that I’m not exactly friends with named Mario Savio was a major leader in this protest. He participated in Freedom Summer (1964), so he knows multiple ways to protest: sit ins, posters, and standing our ground in an aggressive manner. Some students were arrested, which is absurd because we were only protesting our freedom of speech. The nerve some officers have… And a couple days later a lot of students went off campus picketing, and the school tried to restrict this as well. I don’t know what has gotten into people lately, but I believe that because it is off campus it’s none of their business. The SDS group has also branched out quite a lot. The letters SDS stands for Students for a Democratic Society, and mother I am apart of it! It makes me so happy that there is a group of people that have the same beliefs as me. I love being able to come together and unite as one. The group grows in numbers everyday and I hope this group can make a difference in our nation. And one last issue that’s definitely changed my whole opinion on our country as a whole, is Jack Wienberg: he tried to set up a table for people to sign up for the CORE. So many students did it this summer and enjoyed it, so I walked right over to the table. Well, right as I got to the table, he was arrested! The cops put him in a car, but we smart Berkley students didn’t let them get away. Thousands of us sat around the cop car, so that they couldn’t go anywhere. Then, Mario Savio got on top of the cop car and spoke to us. It’s hard to remember exactly what he said, but he is amazing. The way he speaks, and his ideas of our government and society inspire me. He articulates everything perfectly, and wears the cutest outfits. I think I’m in love with him…

Your forever grateful daughter, Lucy media type="youtube" key="xOPuUlpp238" width="425" height="350"

Dear mother, The way the government has been handling all the protests is ridiculous. They continuously try to shut us out of the political cycle, when we are supposed to live in a country that allows each person to express their opinion! I don’t know what the government expects of us college students. We are protesting in such ways because we want them to know how we feel about Vietnam. There isn’t a real reason for us fighting this war, and everyone knows it, just is scared to admit it. It’s not like we are creating anymore freedom for the Vietnamese people or for Americans. We are committing genocide which goes against the moral basis of our country! I’m glad the media caught hold of our protest, because we need every single school in America protesting along with us. We all must stand up together, no matter how violent and nasty times may get. For our country being a leader in the world, or attempting to be one, we are failing greatly. I believe, as do many of my friends, that the universities should be the center of creating participatory democracy. Obviously our government is very ignorant to this idea because with this type of government the people are in power, and have a say. It allows a large number of people the same opportunities which will create a land of each chance, and success for all. I get so worked up every time I talk about this topic, and it seems to consume me more and more each day. I feel that I’m losing sleep over it, and because lately I’ve been staying up late cutting out pictures of Mario…

Your angered daughter, Lucy

Dear Mother, I feel that it is becoming more dangerous as the days pass. National guards are sent to campuses across the nation to maintain order. Students are arrested left and right. It’s plain as day to me that the Vietnam War is tearing our nation apart, but our government seems to be oblivious to this. I don’t know if it’s safe to stay here because I feel threatened for my beliefs. It should be against the law to arrest students for protesting. I know at some point the violence will get a lot worse, and there won’t be any control anymore. I might flee the country!

Your confused daughter, Lucy

Dear Mother, As I was sitting under the trees on campus earlier today, I realized how my priorities have done a complete 360 in the past couple of months. I remember when I used to care about my highlights and if they were the right shade. Or when I used to care about which dress I wore out on lunch dates. Those things are so frivolous now I can’t believe I used to put so much time into them. Now I know what’s important in life: my rights. Without equal rights I cannot lead the life I’ve dreamed of since a little girl, nor be content with the nation I live in. The second your rights are taken from you, your morals break through and you feel the need to tell each person that passes you what you think. It’s as if your life is kicked into high gear until you get the rights you deserve. I have learned you cannot trust everoyone in power, and even though you may be told your intrests' are taken into consideration, you must push till you see action. You must never let up, because if you truly believe in your morals and values you will push your limits everyday. My thoughts and actions have been forever radicalized, and one day I will encourage my own kids to have the same beliefs. I want the country I live in to be the best it possibly can be. I want to be proud when I say I live in America. I’m rebelling and won’t stop. I’m creating change for the better of my country. I am an anti war student. Your strong willed daughter, Lucy