[Los Angeles] in 1965, and then in other urban centers throughout the course of the decade. So I think that compromised LBJ’s ability to do more in the Great Society, and I think compelled him to enact some crime bills which flowed into the Nixon Administration as well.: Johnson attached a lot of importance to “law and order,” in part, because he understood that it was an emerging political issue that could be used effectively against him and against the Democratic Party.
Speaking of education issues: In the last year, Texas enacted laws to limit the teaching of critical race theory that some teachers say will restrict how they teach about the full history of America. What LBJ would have thought of such actions in his native Texas?: It would be doubly offensive to LBJ. Number one because he was a teacher himself.
: The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty [of 1968] is arguably the most important international agreement that comes from the Cold War era that still has impact in the world today. It’s not uniquely LBJ’s creation but it really got momentum during the LBJ period.: Johnson even suggests the notion of opening up China, preceding the Nixon Administration.
What are myths or misconceptions about LBJ that you often find yourselves debunking or setting the record straight on?: There is a myth that circulates around LBJ that he was gung-ho about war, that he was a war monger. We now know with near certainty that he actually was really anguished about the decisions he had to make in connection with the war.
He lacked the courage of getting us out of Vietnam.
Honestly how many people would know anything about him if asked