However, the 1970s brought a change in the
tenor of these protests, and the change was one
of greater violence during the first years of the
decade. This was first seen in anti-Vietnam War
protests, when protestors turned to bombs to
make their point. In one example of this change,
three radical Vietnam War protestors acciden-
tally blew themselves up while building a bomb
in a house in Manhattan in March 1970. Then in
August 1970, four students protesting govern-
ment research at the University of Wisconsin
blew up a campus building at the university
campus in Madison, killing a graduate student.
In another incident, Brandeis University students
protesting the war decided to rob a Boston bank,
killing a policeman during the robbery. This use
of explosives and guns and the resulting deaths
made it clear that the demonstrations against the
war had an increasingly violent turn.
A decade that began with violence contin-
ued with more turbulence in the economy. In
1973, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC) doubled the price of oil.
OPEC’s move led to gasoline shortages and gasCOMPARE
&
CONTRAST 1970s:In 1970, more than 25 million Amer-
icans live below the poverty line of $3,908
a year for a family of four. More than 10
million people live just above the poverty
line. Nearly half of these people live in the
southern part of the United States.
Today:In 2004, the poverty level is $18,810.
More than 37 million people in the United
States live below that level. Of that number,
more than 91 percent are members of minor-
ity groups: African Americans, Native
Americans, Hispanics, and other minorities.
1970s:In May 1970, an anti-war demonstra-
tion at Kent State University results in the
deaths of four students after Ohio national
guardsmen fire on demonstrators, who are
protesting the escalation of the Vietnam
War into Cambodia.
Today:The United States is engaged in wars
in Iraq and Afghanistan. Public protests
against the war become more frequent the
longer the two wars last.
1970s:Although it is difficult to estimate how
many frogs are eaten each year, in Italy alone,
47 million are eaten between 1968 and 1970.
Today:So many frogs’ legs are eaten world-
wide that frogs are in danger of becoming
extinct. Exact numbers are difficult to deter-
mine, but it is estimated that between 180million and one billion frogs are harvested
as food each year.
1970s:Although farm laborers account for
only 5 percent of the U.S. workforce, farm-
ers produce enough food and fiber for 50
people, an increase from 31 people in 1963.
Today: Agriculture accounts for about 20
percent of the workforce in the United States,
with about one-third of acreage used to plant
crops for export overseas. Farmers produce
enough food and fiber for 155 people.
1970s:In 1973, the Supreme Court issues a
decision onRoe v. Wadethat establishes abor-
tion as a fundamental right for all women.
Today:Abortion rights continues to be a
political and social issue that influences polit-
ical elections and results in violence and even
murder in and around abortion clinics.
1970s:Much of the opposition to the Vietnam
War is led by religious leaders. Both Protes-
tant ministers and Roman Catholic priests
take an active role in opposing the war.
Church leaders urge the U.S. government to
combat poverty and racial discrimination.
Today:Religious leaders are active partners
with politicians in political discourse. Much
of the discussion, however, is focused on
religious extremists and terrorism and the
treat they pose.Winter