Protesting at Home

Time and time again, the American people never cease to amaze me. Their
passion for righteousness and justice seems unparalleled, and they will stop at
nothing to get what they believe in. Every day, it seems more people are joining
quickly filling ranks, but these ranks are not those of the military. Rather, these ranks
belong to the anti-war supporters. People who are against the war form together
under the common goal of ending a military campaign they feel to have passed its
expiration date many months ago.
Today, millions of Americans cannot honestly say they support the war. These
people have decided to allow their opinions to transcend the traditional patriotic
mindset in favor of following their own conscience and what they believe to be right
(King). I have attended some of their demonstrations and have spoken with those
who are unhappy. I talked with one man who wanted to let me know that the
government wasnt listening. He said that their peaceful demonstrations seemed to
have almost no effect. He said many were growing uneasy and restless. Countless
supporters of this anti Vietnam war movement shared similar opinions. They warned
me demonstrations may soon become violent, as they would not stand for police
arresting them and silencing their voices (The Antiwar Movement).
The movements today remind me greatly on what I learned about one of the
original public anti-war protestors, Percy Shelley. Percy faced persecution for his
work, and was removed from Oxford college for his views. Percy was an early pioneer
for public outcry against war, and his work inspired others with a large influence to
speak out against the war (Gilsinian). The early work of Percy Shelley has allowed for
the creation and growth of personal evaluation and thought when related to war.

JH