Regardless of the progress and development the world undergoes, disagreement and greed are inevitable parts of humanity’s existence on this Earth. War is symbolic of this. Disagreement with war, therefore, is also unavoidable. America’s history with war – and the consequent protests of such – has served to reveal many truths about American society in the political and social spheres. Antiwar protests have shown us that the limits of political participation are always expanding. They have demonstrated that America has unjustly participated in war despite the mortal consequences. Further, antiwar dissent demonstrates that peace should be – and is not – the greatest motivator for politicians. War, and the protests that ensue, has shown us that the government’s dedication to civil liberties are purely conditional, and the government has often used war as an excuse to constrict American’s right to certain civil liberties. America’s involvement in Cold War proxy battles perpetuated this notion, and antiwar dissent forced Americans to see that war inhibits the government’s ability to pursue social equality. It became very clear then – and in consequent wars – that the government often inserted American forces to fight for democratic rights, when equality that had not been secured for underprivileged groups in the United States; a hypocritical gesture, to be sure.
Antiwar dissent – regardless of message, regardless of context – has long served as an avenue to confront injustices within society and the government. Antiwar dissent has served as a powerful reminder to Americans that the government can have the tendency to pursue an agenda which does not benefit the majority. Americans are exceptionally fortunate to possess the right to oppose its government and its decisions. War is a massive undertaking, and the impacts the entire populous . Antiwar protest has been – and will continue to be – a powerful step toward holding the government accountable and confronting injustices socially and politically.