When the Nixon Administration still refused to change its policies in
response to these violent confrontations, radicals turned increasingly
to the use of terrorist violence. Bombings had been on the increase
for a couple of years, and during the summer of 1970, they became even
more frequent. But the walls of the Establishment still did not come
tumbling down. Members of the Panthers, S.N.C.C., and the
Weathermen--the left-wing of the Students for a Democratic
Society--were generally thought to be responsible for much of this
terrorism. Instead of rallying fresh supporters to the cause of the
radical left, their terrorism only served to alienate other moderates
and radicals. Although the violence of this left fringe increased,
their numbers appeared to decrease, and because of this the terrorist
fringe began to reevaluate its tactics and the whole situation.
In February of 1971, when the Army of South Vietnam crossed into Laos
with heavy American air support, campuses across the country remained
quiet. At the same time, when Bobby Seale of the Black Panthers was
brought to trial for allegedly participating in the murder of an
ex-Panther, only a handful of spectators attended the opening of his
trial.
Pages:
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420