Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and President Lyndon B. Johnson's Outlooks on The War in Vietnam

Two different outlooks on the Vietnam War

Both President Lyndon B. Johnson and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made really powerful speeches regarding the Vietnam War. The speeches were full of passion, emotion and appealed immensely to the public. The speakers spoke with great sentiment, but differed on their view of the Vietnam War. President Lyndon B. Johnson had a more imperial outlook of the Vietnam War where it seemed like it was the United States of America’s duty to “protect” the Vietnamese and involvement in Vietnam was not even a question. Whereas, Dr. King’s speech outlined the exact opposite and stressed on how America’s involvement in the war was completely unnecessary and pointless considering everything that was happening on home soil. Regardless of who’s point of view you might agree with, the speakers appealed strongly to the emotions of the people which played a huge role in the struggle amongst the Americans when it came down to the Vietnam War and America’s involvement.

President Johnson’s speech, although short, displayed a really important aspect of the American ideology. In the mind of the President, it was sort of America’s divine right to intervene and “save and protect” the South Vietnamese people. President Johnson appeals to the audience’s emotions by claiming how thousands upon thousands of men and women are dying due to the attacks by the revolutionaries, who are motivated by North Vietnam. On top of that, he goes on to describe how “women and children are being strangled at night” and how the “men are being assassinated”. The President makes it seem as if people in South Vietnam are being treated badly and it’s the job of the United States of America to bring peace and justice to the people of Vietnam. He goes on to explain how if America steps away from this war, they will have to fight another day. He explains how these wars, if left alone, will lead to more wars and there is no getting away from them. President Johnson appeals to the peoples’ emotions at first and gets them on his side by making them believe that the Vietnamese people are suffering and it’s the United States job to bring justice. Then he goes on to tell the audience that it is not smart to walk away from this war because it will only lead to more wars. The President also sheds light on how terrible China is and how it wants to seize the whole of Asia. Not only that but he seeks to criminalize the leaders of North Vietnam and China by saying their objective is pure conquest. This is quite ironic because he makes the people believe that the United States is out to do well and thrash all these forces of evil and save the day. While in actuality, they end up being the force they are trying to fight. It is quite ironic because he tells the people that the other countries are out for conquest and its America’s job as allies to help the Vietnamese, but they end up staying in the war as enemies of the Vietnamese state. It is the President’s goal to make the people of America to believe that America should enter the war and withhold peace.

Dr. King on the other hand, in his excellent speech, outlines all the reasons why the United States should not go farther and for sure withdraw from the war. He appeals to the people by telling them about all the evils happening at home and how the United States of America should focus on what is going on at home. His speech starts off on a personal note. It explains how he, as a civil rights activist, is questioned as to how he can ask people to stop the war in Vietnam considering everything that is happening on home ground. He explains how America is sending troops to Vietnam and fighting a war it shouldn’t be part of, when at home there are major civil rights issues going on. He brings attention to how African Americans and White Americans are both fighting a war together. But when it comes down to life at home, they cannot even use the same public facilities. He explains how if two individuals might be fighting a war together, they cannot even live on the same block in the city. He appeals to the people of America and wants to tell them how the involvement of the United States in the war is pointless as they should focus on issues at home. He also appeals to the people for the sake of the Vietnamese. He feels for the suffering they are going through and how many people they have lost. They have been put into a war, they didn’t even want to take a part in. All in all, Dr. King goes in the exact opposite direction of the President and wants the USA to withdraw from the war.

Both the speakers have two different messages and outlooks on the situation. One wants the country to go all guns blazing in to the war, whereas the other one wants America to withdraw and focus on better things at home. All in all, comparing these two was an interesting assignment. It was fascinating how both of the speakers used two different ways to appeal for two different reasons.