The Democratic Convention of 1968 - Research Paper Example

The media played a crucial role in the democratic convention of 1968 December 07, The media played a crucial role in the democratic convention of 1968 In 1968, many Americans were shocked at the turn of events on the Vietnam War, many had thought that America was winning the war but that was not the case. The offensive angered those who believed that America was not achieving any victory. Additionally, in 1968 two important leaders were assassinated: Robert Kennedy in June and Martin Luther King Jr in April 1968.1 As the news spread during the television age, protests erupted across the country from campuses and ghettos. They set on fire the military industrial complex that had brought prosperity and happiness in the Second World War. The younger generation was always tuned on to television for updates. On the other hand, the country election were around the corner as the situation on the ground worsened. The elections that followed could see the 36th President in office.2 Consequently, in August 1967, the Democratic Party had a task of selecting a new candidate to replace President Baines Johnson, who had announced in March that he was not going to seek reelection of presidency. Moreover, many contenders vied for the ticket and included Johns vice president, former Senator Hubert Humprey, Robert Kennedy a New York senator but, unfortunately, was shot in Los Angeles hotel. The others were the South Dakota Senator George Mc Govern, who supporters of Kennedy had allegiance in and the Minnesota senator Eugene Mc Carthy who was an antiwar candidate who college students campaigned for from door to door. Rumors also spread that Kennedy’s younger brother was also entering the race even until the date of the convention but he did not.3 In August 1968, Humphrey was the likely winner of the Democratic ticket. Additionally, the convention had two objectives; one was to get the representative of the party in the November elections and the platform which could be used to run. Many questions came up whether the democrats could support the Vietnam War or adopt the plan advocated by McCarthy.4 Despite the different opinions coming from the delegates in relation to antiwar, the vice-president got more than 1000 votes to secure the ticket for the Democratic Party on August28. 5 Nineteen sixty-eight was a year with many problems in the city of Chicago. Chicago was a great and respected American city but in this year, it was far much behind than the rest. Following the assassination of Dr. King, race riots broke out in Chicago, and the police officers responded with a brutal violence. As Major Daley made orders on the “shoot to kill”, it changed the mythic proportion of the major who seemed to be powerful, and this attention attracted thousands of people to turn on their TVs to capture the turn of events in summer of 1968. Additionally, problems arose in Chicago, and there were strikes everywhere, tax strike, telephone strike, and this greatly hindered the preparations of the convention. Thousands of protestors arrived to stage a demonstration against the convention and Festival of Live organized a parallel Youth International Party or the Yippies.6 The media played a crucial role in this convention. In January, the radicals started advertising on other papers in their college campuses inviting more demonstrators to Chicago on the same date.7 The radical youths nominated their candidate for presidency and were called pigasus. Rumors spread that Yippies was planning to pollute the city waters with LSD.8 Because of the rumors, the city banned the radicals from staging a demonstration. Additionally, the other groups who had applied for the permits like the National Mobilization Committee and the Coalition for an open convention who had applied for a demonstration permits were also rejected.9 Consequently, the MOBE was given a permit by the Park district just less than 24 hrs to the scheduled date. Despite the restrictions, thousands arrived to dissent on the war.10 On Monday 26, protesters marched to the police headquarters climbing on General Logan statue. Police cleared the hill removing the last protestor and breaked his arm in the process. The major welcomed the delegates for the 1968 conference at the International Amphitheater. The Media, ABC news reported that about 7500 army troops were deployed on military bases round Chicago, 5600 guard was also on stand and 1000 federal agents were also set to mingle with the crowd. The army tanks fired teargas at the Lincoln Park where many protestors had constructed barricades against the police lines. There was no death, but about 1000 people remained after 11: 00 pm curfew. In the next day, the NBC news reported that many people were injured including seventeen journalists, ten police officers, and thirty-six people. The media was involved in reporting the unfolding of the events of the Chicago convention. In this scenario, the media played a crucial role in the mobilization of the people to demonstrate according to their democratic rights.11 Moreover, newspaper played a crucial role in the civil rights movement during the Chicago convention. The Young Lord (YLO) newspaper was the main crusader for the community.12 The paper aimed at lifting its image through its didactic content and it was a was good crusader for the revolution. Furthermore, the evolution that was powered by YLO has been a subject of study for many scholars over the decades.13 The media was used to pass the crucial information to the people, and the newspaper was used pass critical information to the people regarding the turn of events in Chicago. Since many young people from universities had critical information concerning the convention through the media. The YLO also assisted in the activism of the young generation towards involvement on the national issues and having a say on important national matters. The 1968, Democratic convention of Chicago changed the political climate in the United States. The event has been marked as a turning point of America’s cultural and political history. The violent protests between the police and the protestors had given Chicago a bad image that prevails to date.14 In 1968, many Americans believed that democracy was in the streets, and this was the cry during the 1968 convention in Chicago.15 Various protestors gathered including, students, activists, rabble-rousers and other assorted individuals gathered in Chicago for the protests. The protestors were raising their voice on the America’s involvement in the Vietnam War that had claimed thousands of soldiers. However, controversy sparked the city of Chicago when the peaceful protests turned out to be violent, and the police used violent means like beating and clubbing protestors to restore peace. The presence of YIPPIES or the Youth International Party was a threat to the security of the whole Chicago due to their radicalization. Consequently, this prompted the police to use all means to prevent any outbreak of violence through all means. Additionally, the coverage of the convention by the media and the walker commission raised concerns on the voice of the protestors that the police were responsible the violent outcome of the Chicago demonstrations in 1968. In the 1960’s, there were strong social rallying points that led to the emergence of strong student unions. The war on Vietnam affected the students on first hand and the increasing media coverage on the war increased tensions on the possible emergence of protests. The 1968 Democratic convention protests were born in order to fight for equality, racism, and social injustices that had blackmailed the image of the American society. The protests also were also against arousing the government of the United States against its involvement of situations that could not guarantee it. The numbers of the student’s democratic society increased rapidly ahead of the planned 1968 convention. One of the factors that led to the rapid increase of the numbers in the Student union was the wide media coverage that had raised concerns on the major issues that faced the American society during that time. Consequently, the student membership increased tremendously within as short period from April 1968 there were 35,000 members that figure rose to 85,000 members by November. The main aim of the students was to bring a social and political change in the United States. The media seemed to boost on this change because of its wide coverage of the events might have contributed positively to these change. 16 Moreover, the 1968 attack of the American Embassy in Saigon was a catalyst that made the media to criticize the government American conduct on the War and subsequently turning the public to rally against the war. The news coverage shifted the opinion of the US public through the coverage of the narrative of the attacks on the American positions.17 Additionally, the media’s consistent coverage of the turn of events on the Vietnam War helped to spearhead the public disapproval of the war. The media was the major contributor of the war in Vietnam, and it mobilized the American citizens to change the opinion on the war. Since the media was uncensored during this time, the images that reached the American public might have contributed to the protests the famous one being the 1968 democratic convention in the United States. 18 In conclusion, the 1968 Chicago convention was the turning point of events in the democracy and equality in the United States. The media helped to change the citizens’ minds in the great percentage through covering the Vietnam War on television and this led to mass protests in Chicago prior the democratic convention in 1968. The media rallied against the American war in Vietnam whereby the American forces had lost greatly in the war. The media rallied behind the withdrawal of the American forces in Vietnam and helped to change the minds of the American citizens by brainwashing on the effects of the war that was started and lacked the public support. Consequently, we can depict that the media including the newspapers, radio, magazines, and the newspapers spread the news fast thus helping to inform the people on how the American side had greatly lost on the war. Moreover, the media played a critical role in changing the minds of the public to oppose the war. Moreover, the Chicago convention was taunted by protests all Chicago that saw the police to crash the protestors with full force thus showing some kind of brutality in the side of the police. Finally, the assassination of Martin King Jr was a big setback to the Americans and the beginning of the fight against racism. Consequently, after the convention, major social reforms were enacted thus restoring more democracy and social equality in the United States. Bibliography Luckey Alexis. “Whole World is Watching: Medium Cool and the 1968 Chicago Convention” . Accessed on 7th December 2014 from http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ma05/luckey/chicago/timeline.htm. Lazu Jacqueline. (2013). The Chicago Young Lords: (Re) constructing Knowledge and Revolution. Centro Journal. Fall2013, Vol. 25 Issue 2, p28-59. 32p. Accessed on 7th Dec 2014 from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=5&sid=68d8ccc0-6610-48ca-8085-71a77c13946a%40sessionmgr113&hid=114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=95780538. Rachleff Shelby. The 1968 Democratic National Convention. Retrieved on 7th Dec 2014 From http://roundtable.menloschool.org/issue6/5_Rachleff_MS_Roundtable6_Spring_2010.pdf. Riggins Jack. News Media Coverage of the 1968 Attack on the American Embassy In Saigon. Retrieved on 07th Dec 2014 from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-09182007-204752/unrestricted/Offensive.pdf. Read More