Why Eugene Genovese’s 2 sentences about Vietnam went viral in 1965

Fifty years ago Thursday, Rutgers University professor Eugene Genovese uttered two sentences that would ignite controversy and ultimately help define the emerging anti-war movement.

"I do not fear or regret the impending Vietcong victory in Vietnam. I welcome it," Genovese 
said.

The statement, coming at the start of the Vietnam War protest era, reverberated around the state because few had dared to openly criticize America's role in the war in such brazen terms. 

Standing before a large crowd of Rutgers students at a "teach-in" on the Vietnam War on a late April night, the history professor openly admitted he was a Marxist and a socialist. 

Eventually, the statement became one of the hottest political debates during a gubernatorial election season. Many New Jerseyans were shocked a professor at their state university would make what many regarded as an anti-American statement. ...