Choosing a Topic

I have chosen my topic for the upcoming semester and have discussed it at length with my advisor. I am so excited to begin researching the My Lai Massacre–particularly from a legal perspective as it complements my political science major and law school ambitions. As a millennial I admittedly have a different perspective of the Vietnam War than people like my grandparents who lived through it. I feel that this gives me a much different perspective, as I can now bring a unique, and globalized view that values truth and justice over anything else, making the wrongfulness of the Vietnam War so clear. In my research I will aim to discuss how the disconnect in the prosecution of the My Lai Massacre from the precepts created by the Nuremberg trials affected changes in war crime laws. Additionally, many legal scholars view the United States prosecution of the My Lai massacre as insufficient, suggesting international laws be applied instead. I aim to study how the efficacy of the application of international law may have provided a stronger prosecution. I also intend to discuss how the Vietnam War ultimately shaped our aptitude for engagement. Did the Vietnam war encourage the US to go into more wars preemptively, or has our willingness to engage become shackled because of international law? I am honestly really excited and can’t wait to begin writing!

The sources I am going to use include a variety of reputable law journals. I will also be using, pending my interlibrary loan request, Richard Falk’s book Vietnam War and International Law. For my primary sources, I will use statements from soldiers involved in the event, and news coverage from the 70s including specific anchor Walter Kronkite.