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60's

One concept of the generation gap is that parents and offspring have different values and beliefs. As a result, many parents fear that they will lose influence with children when peer opinions become highly valued. In the 1960's the generation gap developed from three situations. These situations are Free Speech, Civil Rights, and the Vietnam War. Older generations had a different vision than the younger generation. This caused a lot of conflict.
In the forties, and fifties speaking out against your president, or government was considered unpatriotic. In the sixties the younger generation didn't agree on a lot of issues that the government and the country were dealing with. These people didn't like that their friends were getting sent to a war. They also felt the United States did wrong by getting involved in war that didn't involve them. One major incident that started Free Speech was the protesting at Berkeley College. In 1964 students at Berkley were trying to express their feelings toward politics. The students were shocked and hurt at the same time. With outrage the students began to protest their free speech rights. Many students were physically abused by the police. Some were beating or arrested. One important leader of the group was Mario Savio. These protests influenced students all over the country to speak out against their schools for their rights. They demanded their schools to help them with their needs in which they thought were unfair. One school even took over the administration building. This situation caused a generation gap because people of the older days felt if you speak out against your government it is like your disrespecting them. The older generations just listened back then. They didn't question anything; they just put their faith and trust in their government. They didn't see any wrong. However students who were involved in their government, and didn't like what was going on opposed to it. They spoke out for their rights. Although...