College-age students considered the idea ludicrous that young American men should be drafted in large numbers to fight a war against communism in the jungles of a far-off land, in markecontrast to the willing sacrifices their parents had made during the years of World War II.
The conflict between the generations peaked at the Democratic National Convention in 1968, the year The Pigman was published. Thousands of young people gathered in a Chicago park near the convention to protest U.S. involvement in Vietnam. The protesters' signs attacked not just the war but many forms of establishment authority. One sign, which read "Kill the Pigs," referred to the police-perhaps the ultimate symbol of authority. The demonstration turned ugly when the protesters released a giant pig balloon and the police began to attack the crowd. According to one historian, "The cops swung out with a fine indifference at demonstrators, male or female, and news reporters. Shortly after midnight, with the help of tear gas, most of the crowd was finally driven from the park" (Viorst, p. 454). Television cameras broadcast images of this war at home into America's living rooms.
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