Vietnam
During December 1971 and January 1972, the Nixon administration flew over 200 sorties over Laos and Cambodia, and intensified bombing along the 17th parallel, the dividing line between North and South Vietnam. Nixon conducted the war through his madman theory—behave unpredictably by both attacking and slowly withdrawing from the Vietnamese conflict. However, the public vocally protested the war and constantly questioned Nixon’s campaign promise of peace because of these bombing raids. Herbert Block depicts the public perception of the war as two men cling onto a rocket labeled “Arms Spending Taxpayers” written on the side, as it spirals out of control from the White House. This shows American skepticism of escalating bombing while promising an end to American involvement.
~ Peter Rettenmeier
During the Vietnam War, Nixon's administration adopted a strategy of bombing the Ho Chi Minh Trail, which ran through North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, as well as intensifying bombing along the borders between North and South Vietnam to deter a North Vietnamese invasion. The objective was to demonstrate a sense of irrationality as per the "madman theory" with the intent of making North Vietnam look for peace through diplomacy. Since 1965, the war became increasingly unpopular, and Nixon's promise of peace aimed to satisfy public demand while maintaining a division between North and South Vietnam. Tom Engelhardt illustrates this public perception of the war with a caricature of Nixon painting "A generation of peace" in dripping white paint on the side of a large bomb. By quoting Humpty Dumpy from Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass, the cartoonist identifies the strategy pursued by the government as ridiculous.
~ Peter Rettenmeier
On May 4, 1970, Kent State University endured a tragic event that turned the school into a landmark of the Vietnam War era. Consumed by agitation and violence, twenty-eight Ohio National Guardsmen came to the grounds of the University. The Ohio Guardsmen abruptly fired into a crowed of anti-war protestors, conducting a peaceful demonstration to stop the Vietnam War from spreading into the country of Cambodia. Four people died and nine were wounded, including one person being left paralyzed. Here, The Christian Science Monitor cartoonist Guernsey LePelley portrayed the reaction of Americans through Uncle Sam expressing disappointment, sadness, and confusion in what is supposed to be a country of freedom and liberty. Is war more important than our own people? Perhaps, if a peaceful anti-war protest results in innocent youth losing their lives.
~ Baylor Crigger
Not everyone blamed the government for the Kent State tragedy of May 4, 1970. Here, Bill Sanders represents a man dressed as hippie standing over a murdered student. The man is depicted as anarchy with an expression of anger across his face. The smoking gun represents this idea that the bullet lies with the anti-war movement, that the movement against the Vietnam conflict is bringing turmoil to this country. In other words, it is not the actions of the government that are murdering people, it is the protestors themselves. Protests and violence still characterize American life--How do contemporary events compare to the experience of protestors at Kent State?
~ Baylor Crigger