1970

            
            
             Racial Issues of the 70's.
             A main part of the 1970's were the conflicts of blacks and whites. Because of Martin Luther King's death, blacks began to cause more violence in America's streets. Groups such as the "Black Panthers" became more powerful and violent than they had been for a while. Nixon decided he wanted to get the "troublemakers" off of the street. Because of this plan, budget increases inflamed to 700 million dollars, instead of the 63 million it had been in 1969. The Counter Intelligence Program tapped phone lines, and recorded conversations to help get the black "troublemakers" off the street. They also delivered false rumors to other organizations about undercover agents working for them. It worked, because they seemed to get more tense about what they were doing, and they started to die down.
             The public schools got criticized because segregating schools was against the law, but they were as separated as they were when it was legal. The government, in order to save money and time, ordered them all to use the same busing facilities. Buses were surrounded and stoned by angry parents. .
             Voting was a step in the right direction for blacks, black adults registered to vote in record numbers, and black candidates appeared on ballots more often for county, state, and even national elections. Many people say this was caused because of the first ever convention of the National Black Political Assembly, in Gary Indiana. Jesse Jackson told the supporters to go out and vote, because it was one of the most "American" things to do.
             I am a Woman, Hear me Roar.
             Another major conflict was the treatment of women throughout the nation. A book called The Feminine Mystique was written by Betty Freidan, and brought women's feelings into the open. Most of the press tried to ignore the rising of sex discrimination, but it was too much to handle. .
             On one occasion, a woman tried to take the podium from a speaker at a convention, but the chairman patted her on the head and told her "Run along little girl, we have important issues to talk about.