Major Rhetorical Argument (photo)

The photo on the right sidebar depicts one of the many Anti-Vietnam War protests that took place throughout the 1960's. While there were a plethora of reasons why the war was deemed unnecessary and unlawful, people were especially upset over the draft. The majority of the young men conscripted were high school drop-outs or African Americans.

Many saw this as discriminatory since the rich often found a way to avoid draft, either by staying in university for as long as possible or joining the National Guard.








In the photo, the man on the left is burning his draft card and displaying it for everyone to see. This is an act of defiance since it was illegal to knowingly destroy a draft card. The man risked arrest and punishment by acting on his right to free speech and expressing his opposition to the draft and war. While some men who burned their draft cards did face repercussions, the majority did not. This method of protest was effective because after Nixon took office, he ended the draft in 1973. In addition to the burning draft card, the poster in the back, "Make Love Not War," embodies the Hippie Movement. Hippies favored "peace, love, and personal liberties," so the Vietnam War was against everything they believed in. The war caused great disdain towards the U.S. government and soldiers returning from Vietnam.