Forty years ago, we were embroiled in a hugely unpopular war that killed over fifty thousand young men; reluctant warriors ensnared in a wartime draft. In 1968, the Democratic convention became the flashpoint of a rancorous and bitter division of the Democratic Party and American society. Outside the convention hall in Chicago, thousands of anti-war protesters railed against the continuing carnage in Vietnam. Inside, the Democratic party was in anguish, attempting to salvage some sense of relevency amidst the rising populist tide. In the Illinois night, a folksinger strummed his guitar. Phil Ochs Democratic Convention 1968
Phil Ochs wrote 'I Ain't Marchin' Anymore', and it became an anthem of sorts to those who lit up the night, not with Bic lighters, but with their draft cards. Some months later, dispirited and spent, Phil Ochs hanged himself.