The word “DNC” for many people evokes memories of the tumultuous summer of 1968. 40 years ago today marks the beginning of the Democratic National Convention, where protests against the Vietnam War shouted against the backdrop, two months after Bobby Kennedy was shot (shot on June 5, shortly after midnight in California, died on June 6, 1968); four months after the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. (April 4, 1968).
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1968 Riots at the DNC.
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Kennedy was killed shortly after winning the California primary and securing the Democratic nomination, beating Eugene McCarthy. With the clear winner gone, a battle for power ensued between McCarthy and Hubert Humphrey, who hadn’t participated in the primaries, but had enough delegates to secure a nomination in place of the deceased Bobby Kennedy.
McCarthy was clearly anti-war: he wanted to bring the troops home, and to end the Vietnam War as soon as possible. Humphrey, on the other hand, advocated a gradual recession of troops following a complete ceasefire, in concordance with the Paris Peace Talks that Lydon Johnson advocated. McCarthy and Humphrey fought bitterly for the nomination, and eventually Humphrey won, leaving anti-war Democrats angry and unsettled, a feeling that carried on into the DNC.
And, though I was close to 20 years from even a glimmer in my parents’ eyes at the time, I could tell you that Richard Nixon winning the election that year didn’t do much to soothe the wounded dems.
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1968 Protest Sign for the Chicago 8.
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In addition to struggles within the DNC in Chicago, protests raged outside of it, led by a small group known infamously as the Chicago 8. A curfew was set by police in the area, and many of the thousands of protesters obeyed: others started throwing rocks. Police struck back outrageously with tear gas and night sticks, and the Chicago 8: Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Lee Weiner and Bobby Seale, were charged with inciting a riot. They were all acquitted.
To put this in perspective, we are now observing the second day of the Democratic National Convention, where Hillary Clinton will be making her speech around 10pm EST. She only nearly lost the democratic primaries to Barack Obama: he secured 2201 to her 1896, and Hillary supporters are ranging from begrudging Obama supporters to t-shirt wearing McCain voters.
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The anti-choice banner.
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The media propaganda machine is, of course, trying to play down this dissonance, but even Chuck Schumer, the other New York senator, is having trouble swallowing his pride (did anyone else hear his interview last night? “She’ll make a great president…I mean HE’LL”).
And, while 40 years ago the protesters were against the war, we’re seeing a different type of protest at this years Democratic National Convention: a 530-foot tall and 666-foot wide, Guinness Book of World Records-making banner stating: “Destroys uNborn Children.”
Some things do change.