1971 (2014) Official HD Trailer Premiere

The clip focuses on the events of March 8, 1971, when eight people orchestrated the burglary and public distribution of government files from an FBI office in Media, Pennsylvania. The theft was altogether different than the numerous contemporary draft board office break-ins, in which activists (including many of the burglars) burned government draft paperwork to interfere with America's continued participation in the Vietnam War. The group, all of whom were ordinary citizens, called themselves the Citizens' Commission to Investigate the FBI and stole every file in the office. The goal of the burglars was to gather tangible evidence of government surveillance of civilian political activists, which was infringing on First Amendment rights. The stolen files exposed that the FBI was indeed running extensive, illegal operations intended to spread paranoia and distrust among numerous New Left and black civil rights organizations. Over time, the group mailed copies of the files to various newsrooms. Most news organizations returned the files to the FBI and refused to run stories regarding the stolen documents, but the notable exception was The Washington Post, which ran a front-page story on March 24, 1971. Arguably the most significant element in the stolen materials turned out to be a single file mentioning "COINTELPRO", a secret surveillance program that was run by J. Edgar Hoover. Watch the clip below and answer the questions, watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2Kgo7NNXWs Questions: 1. This clip outlines citizen activity in civil disobedience. To you, in what circumstances is this valid? In what circumstances is it not? 2. This clip brings to mind an analog version of what is contemporarily occurring with Edward Snowden and the NSA. At what point should the public be privy to top secret information or activities of the government? Is there a line that shouldn't be crossed? 3. Consider how this group of individuals were seemingly political yet not radical activists. What does this tell us about the public opinion regarding the Vietnam War in 1971? Does this prove that there had been a shift against the war in a wider way or that the war continued with the support of the general populace? Explain.