American Exceptionalism

                    This image taken during the Vietnam War presents an African American protester holding a sign which states “Black men should not fight in Vietnam for racist U.S.A.”  What is very telling about this primary source material is that it really encapsulates the hypocrisy of American exceptionalism during all of our wars.  Just like in World war II and Korea, African American’s ideologically faced the problem that we were defending the human rights of other nations.  The irony in this idea can be identified when referencing African American history which has been synonymous with oppression and intimidation.  As a result, this image helps demonstrate African American backlash against wars that offered no long-term benefit.  I think this speaks to the problematic fallacy that America is envisioned as the beacon of democracy while also being home to “the land of the free, and the home of the brave”.  While this propaganda may be true for white America, the cold reality of the situation is that African American’s have been fighting for equality since the abolition of slavery.  While anti-war protest against the war may be viewed as unpatriotic, why would African American’s fight for a nation that has no ventured interest in their social progress? Why would African Americans put their lives on the line for a nation so deeply invested in white supremacy? By the time the Vietnam war rolled around, African Americans had already seen both the results of World War II and Korea.  In their eyes these wars did little to fundamentally rectify the systematic oppression within America.  Thus, during the Vietnam war, there seemed little optimism about any degree of change.  In conclusion, America’s involvement in other wars for the sake of democracy and freedom really illustrates the hypocrisy of American exceptionalism