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How mass media influences public opinion
How mass media influences public opinion
How mass media influences public opinion
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The 1960’s in American History is undoubtedly one of the most important decades and is easily one of the most important times in the development of our nation. Political outrage seemed to grow rapidly amongst many communities like the Bay of Pigs incident, the African-American civil rights movement, and, in specific the anti-war movement created by a group of radicals, The Chicago Seven. This group was made up of seven men Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, and Lee Weiner. Abbie Hoffman, the leader of The Chicago Seven, created protest against racism, war, capitalism, greed, polluting industries, and moral puritanism.(Engelbert 258). Hoffman began to unite people together under one same cause, …show more content…
Especially April 4, 1968 when Dr. Martin Luther King was shot dead, the Chicago Seven were not the only radicals protesting for human rights in American society. This allowed for activist organization to unify together in order to fight a similar cause for their country. Which was to allow rights to be applicable to everyone not just the American government. One day before the protest occurred many people petitioned in order to march a couple of blocks away from where the convention was being held, but all petitions to protest were ignored. Although The Chicago Seven knew that their petitions were being ignored the still decided to lead group of activist to protest right in front of where the National Democratic Convention was being held. Because they felt people were ignoring the decision made from former president Lyndon B. Johnson for the Vietnam War. “Wanted the world to know that there are thousands of young people in this country who do not want to see a rigged convention rubber-stamp another four years of Lyndon Johnson's war”(Stanley). This shows how people just wanted to see change in their communities, much like how many people are waiting for someone to stand up in order to cause more people to get involved in a movement. Rebelling is the first step when a group of activist or reformers want to some sort of change in their community, and this is exactly what the …show more content…
All members of the Chicago Seven received court, but the most interesting out of all of them was probably Abbie Hoffman. Hoffman employed the same antics in the courtroom as he had in the streets, turning the trial into one of the most celebrated examples of political theatrics in US history (Sawinski). Brought against activists who participated in anti-Vietnam War protests at the Democratic National Convention in 1968, the federal case offered an opportunity for defendants including Tom Hayden, Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin to create a media circus, and they took full advantage of it.
The media was really involved with this case, and many Americans had different opinions on what should happen to all the defendants, and of course the final decisions was that they were found guilty of conspiracy. Although, nothing much really happened after they got arrested it important to understand a couple of things.
First, the Chicago Seven did not work alone and therefore did cause change in the world because of all of the people that got involved who wanted change. In today's world we could possibly be in need of a second Chicago Seven because of all the military conflicts occurring around the world fighting
The defendants in the case were Brian Whitfield, Marsha Whitfield, and Edwin Todd. Though Marsha Whitfield and Edwin Todd were indicted they chose to accept plea deals and avoid trial proceedings.
On August 23, 1927, Nicola Sacco and Barolomeo Vanzetti were executed in one of the most controversial legal cases in American history. Two men were shot and robbed in Braintree, MA, and two poor Italian immigrants were arrested for the crime. Although neither Sacco nor Vanzetti had criminal records, they both had pistols on them at the time, and followed a violent anarchist leader. Following their arrest, the seven-year case on the crime would drive national and international protests demanding their exoneration. There were numerous elements in the trial that influenced the guilty verdicts for the men including, but not limited to, weak evidence. The Sacco Vanzetti trial displays the social injustices and prejudice in American society during the time. It is evident that even though they are innocent, the court used Sacco and Vanzetti as scapegoats in this crime because of their beliefs and background.
The 1960’s was a time society fantasized of a better world. However, the horrors of the Vietnam War soon became evident; the mass amounts of death occurring because of the war became a reality. It created a “movement”, especially in American colleges, in order to stand up for what they believed to be “right”. By 1970, many Americans believed sending troops to Vietnam was a mistake, however there were also various individuals becoming increasingly critical of the student antiwar movement
Such students differ from the minority groups of Native Americans or African Americans in that they were not so much fighting because they were being discriminated against, but more because they wanted to change what was at that time “the norm.” The civil rights movement was created around this time, and many individuals were beginning to find a voice. African Americans and Native Americans were protesting in order to gain equality and their rights, as opposed to fighting for political reasons. Yet, some of the students at this time were beginning to change their views and believed that it was time for racial equality to exist. Primarily, students formed organizations and clubs, protesting peacefully on their campus and within the college towns to get their beliefs across to others. However, as it became apparent that peaceful protests did not have a big enough impact, as a result of the Vietnam war, the most extreme activists argued that only violent protests would lead to real social change. The Weathermen, a revolutionary group which formed in 1969, proposed an armed struggle to overthrow the U.S. government. This group of radicalists were responsible for a number of bombings during the late 1960s and 1970s. Though the majority of students in America during the sixties and seventies did not face the same racial
The Sixties, by Terry H. Anderson, takes the reader on a journey through one of the most turbulent decades in American life. Beginning with the crew-cut conformity of 1950s Cold War culture and ending with the transition into the uneasy '70s, Anderson notes the rise of an idealistic generation of baby boomers, widespread social activism, and revolutionary counterculture. Anderson explores the rapidly shifting mood of the country with the optimism during the Kennedy years, the liberal advances of Johnson's "Great Society," and the growing conflict over Vietnam that nearly tore America apart. The book also navigates through different themes regarding the decade's different currents of social change; including the anti-war movement, the civil rights struggle, and the liberation movements. From the lunch counter sit-in of Greensboro, N.C. in 1960 and the rise of Martin Luther King, Jr. to the Black Power movement at the decade's end, Anderson illustrates the brutality involved in the reaction against civil rights, the radicalization of some of the movement's youth, and the eventual triumphs that would change America forever. He also discusses women's liberation and the feminist movement, as well as the students' rights, gay rights, and environmental movements.
One of the most significant societal movements during the 1960s was the Civil Rights movement, a coalition lead by many that voiced strong opposition to the war in Vietnam. Martin Luther King Jr was a huge voice for civil liberties, and according critic Mark Barringer, “Martin Luther King Jr openly expressed support for the antiwar movement on moral grounds…asserting that the war was draining much-needed resources from domestic programs”(Barringer 3). Martin Luther King Jr had a profound effect on the 1960s civil rights movement. He was eventually assassinated for his invo...
Or that the racial tensions exploded into riots in many cities, particularly after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. In addition, frustrations with the political process mounted on both the left and right. Left-wing thinkers attributed problems to the underlying causes of the demonstrations, notably the continuing war in Vietnam and the Government's failure to address racial and social inequalities quickly enough. Right-wing politicians argued that the demonstrators themselves were the problem and blamed the confrontations on indulgent political officials, although most Americans fell between the two. There was a growing feeling that the government's Vietnam policy was not working and that many social injustices went unaddressed. (Chicago Riots Mar the Democratic National
Upon his arrest, the ACLU took full responsibility for all monetary charges incurred during the course of the trial. The defense appointed the country’s greatest ...
...of 1969 and on January 15, 1971 the jury began to deliberate. The Manson Family had issued threats that the day the verdict was rendered would be violent if the verdict was not favorable to the Manson Family. That day the jury brought in a verdict. They found Charles Manson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Leslie Van Houten guilty of first degree murder. There was no violence in the courtroom. The penalty phase of the trial now began.
The 1960’s and early 1970’s were a time that eternally changed the culture and humanity of America. It was a time widely known for peace and love when in reality; many minorities were struggling to gain a modicum of equality and freedom. It was a time, in which a younger generation rebelled against the conventional norms, questioning power and government, and insisting on more freedoms for minorities. In addition, an enormous movement began rising in opposition to the Vietnam War. It was a time of brutal altercations, with the civil rights movement and the youth culture demanding equality and the war in Vietnam put public loyalty to the test. Countless African-Americans, Native-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, women, and college students became frustrated, angry, and disillusioned by the turmoil around them.
Another conflict is that some of the jurors were hard/hot headed and stubborn. They refused to accept the stories that juror 8 proposed even when they knew he was right. It's a conflict that could've easily been avoided if half of them weren't so fulsome. The decision in the case could've been resolved sooner if not for their stubbornness.
Judge irving r. kaufman presides over the espionage prosecution of the accused of selling nuclear secrets of the russians (treason could not be charged because the united states was not at war with the soviet union. the rosenberg and co-defendant , morton sobell were defended by the father and son team of emanuel and alexander bloch. the prosecution include the infamous roy cohn, best known for his association with senator joseph mccarthy. the only direct evidence of the rosenberg involvement was a confession of greenland. the left wing community believed that the rosenberg were prosecuted because of their membership of the communist party. their case became the cause celebre of leftist throughout the nation. the rosenbergs were sentenced to death row on april 5th. sobell received a thirty-year sentence. greenglass got 15 years for his corporation reportedly the rosenberg were offered a deal in which their death sentence would be commuted in a admission of their guilt. They refused and were
Civil rights can be defined as the rights for individuals to receive equality. This equality includes the right to equal jobs, justice, the right to be free from harsh treatment and discrimination from the whites in various ways. These rights include education, voting rights, employment, same sex marriages, housing, and many more. Civil rights include gay and lesbian rights, women rights to vote and hold positions in offices, African- Americans and Hispanics as well. Looking at it from a historically, the civil rights movement is the fights, protest, and demonstrations all in a non-violent form by African-Americans to achieve equality amongst whites. Today, civil rights can be used to describe the call for equality for all people regardless of culture, race, sex, age, disability, national origin, religion, or certain other characteristics.
The Vietnam War was well on its way by the time the Democratic Convention of 1968 rolled around, and so were the anti-war protests. After the Tet Offensive in the spring of 1968 and the famous Broadcast of Walter Cronkite, the American public had begun to lose trust in the plans of Lyndon Johnson for Vietnam, and was protesting for peace. The Democratic Convention was an important time and place for protestors to display their displeasure with the Vietnam War, as many important decisions were to be made. The Chicago Seven was made up of radical protestors from two main groups, the MOBES (National Mobilization to End the War in Vietnam) and the YIPPIES (Youth International Party). MOBE was the more politically focused of the two while the YIPPIES engaged in promoting an uninhibited lifestyle.
The first ten amendments to the United States Constitution form what is known as the Bill of Rights. In essence it is a summary of the basic rights held by all U.S. citizens. However, Negro citizens during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950-70’s felt this document and its mandate that guaranteed the civil rights and civil liberties of all people; were interpreted differently for people of color. The freedoms outlined in the Constitution were not enforced the same by the government of the United States for the black race as it did for the white race.