Columbia News

Senator Eric Schmitt posted a series of tweets on October 15, 2025, reflecting on public sentiment and social unrest in the United States during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

In one tweet, Schmitt referenced public opinion during a turbulent period, stating, "But that wasn't the feeling among most Americans who were actually alive during that era. In 1968, amid urban riots and increasingly violent campus unrest, a Gallup poll found that a whopping four out of five Americans believed that law and order had broken down in the U.S." This tweet points to widespread concern about social stability at the time.

Schmitt continued his reflections by highlighting the extent of domestic violence during the early 1970s: "In one 18-month period between 1971-72, there were 2,500 domestic bombings on U.S. soil—a stunning rate of nearly five per day. For many Americans, that fact is shocking. In today’s popular imagination, the politics of the 60s and 70s were Woodstock, peace signs, and hippies." The senator contrasts these violent events with the commonly held cultural image of the era.

In a subsequent tweet, Schmitt commented on the long-term impact of left-wing activism: "The left-wing radicals lost the street war, but their worldview won the far bigger war for America’s elite institutions. The New Left of the 1960s didn't disappear into obscurity. Instead, it took over the nation’s systems of education, law, philanthropy, media and mass culture."

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the United States experienced significant social upheaval, including protests against the Vietnam War and civil rights demonstrations. These events often led to violent confrontations and shaped public perception about safety and stability. Opinion polls from that era showed that a large majority of Americans believed law and order had deteriorated. The period also saw a surge in politically motivated bombings and other forms of domestic unrest.

Senator Eric Schmitt is a U.S. Senator representing Missouri.