Aftermath

Aftermath and Legacy:

As the end of the Vietnam War came around 1975 so did the protests. The intensity of the protests had already been dying out in town, so by the time the war was over so were the protests. Although the protests regarding the Vietnam War were over, this was just the start of the rebirth of protesting. After the war protesting became much more common and relevant in our culture. The protests from the war helped set up and pave the way for all of the protests to come. The feeling of being able to protest and rebel is largely due to the protesting during the 60's. During the 60's the popularity of rebelling and protesting grew and obviously spread through out young Americans, especially college students and young adults. The new forms of protesting that were lacking presence in the 1940's and 50's helped bring protesting back into American culture along with the feeling of the freedom of expressing ones ideas.

Connections of these protests to some of the books we've read in class can be made. One would be to //My Revolutions//, due to the protesting being very similar to that which were described in the book. Although the theme of the search for meaning from the text is less present in the protests, the use and standing up for a stronger meaning is present. The other large connection is between the protests and the book //The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Tests//. This book portrays the use of drugs as well as self expression and a search for meaning. The rebellious nature present in the book is a valid reflection of the attitude present in the 60's. Other themes in the book include being a part of something bigger than yourself, which was also very present in the protests. Being a part of the protests put yourself at risk, and they people who participated sacrificed many things in hope that it would help them convey their ideas.

The legacy of the 60's should be that the youth felt free and were not afraid to express there opinions, therefore paving the way for future generations to do the same. Tom Wolfe, author of //The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Tests// uses what he observed from Ken Kesey's "acid tests" as a way to reflect on the 60's. Nearing the end of the book, he writes: “The Acid Tests were one of those outrages, one of those scandals, that create a new style or a new world view” (Wolfe 250). This is almost a direct definition of the 1960's and how they changed so many parts of American culture and generated so many new views. The 60's were a time for self expression and rebellion against societies norms, and the legacy of the 60's is impacted by how the protests helped advocate rebellion. The 60's gave American culture one of its biggest shift in he late 20th century, as well as changing it forever.

Author: Drew Whitaker