Students demonstrated their opposition to the Vietnam War in the '60s and '70s by organizing rallies and sit-ins. In the 21st century, protests have taken a technological turn as students are representing their points of view on the U.S. government and the war in Iraq by joining groups on Internet sites, such as Facebook.

Americans Embarrassed by Americans emerged around the time President George W. Bush was re-elected in 2004 as a venue for students to express their frustration at the path down which the government was leading America.

Sean Buchanan, a 2006 UW graduate, began the group as an outlet for his own frustration with the way the country was handled prior to the 2004 election.

"[The group] was created simply to exercise a voice of disbelief that George Bush was in fact re-elected, or the fact that the Democratic Party did not provide a strong enough platform to win the election," Buchanan said.

Many students agreed with his sentiments, as the group expanded quickly and now has more than 1,700 members at the UW. Buchanan believes there are two reasons it caught on so well.

For one, it's a topic that students are passionate about, as young adults are traditionally known for their protests against the government. The war in Iraq directly affects many of them, since their friends are overseas.

Secondly, the group most likely spread due to students spending a lot of time randomly browsing Facebook and stumbling across the group. Facebook is a popular site for many college students and offers a break from studying.

Politicians are good at creating half-truths in order to win elections and cover their tracks, which makes it difficult for Americans to know exactly what is happening in the government, Buchanan said.

"It seems there is so much propaganda from both parties, it's hard to discern what exactly is going on with our country," he said. "One fact does seem to be prevalent in American society today: Many people view President Bush as being one of the worst we have ever seen."

Despite the anti-Bush sentiments of the group, it does not mean that it is anti-American or anti-troops.

"In no way does the group express that we are not grateful to be Americans or grateful for our troops and what they are doing," Buchanan said.

He has received some criticism in the form of personal messages and posts on the group's message board but nothing significant has emerged from the negative feedback. Although he is willing to have an open-minded conversation with those who oppose the group, he rarely encounters a critic who is able to do the same.

The most notable response to the group is another Facebook group called Americans Embarrassed by Americans Embarrassed by Americans. The group has about 350 members and offers an opposing point of view to its predecessor.

Reach columnist Abby Walker at abbywalker@thedaily.washington.edu