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The World in 1971, continued [back] To a 22-year-old in 1971, the Vietnam War felt like an eternal backdrop to our lives, a youth-eating machine run by cynical old men in Washington and their military-industrial complex cronies. ("Don't trust anyone over 30" was a common saying.) There was the anti-war movement, of course. But I like to think of that as one wing of the Peace & Love movement, which had many divisions. There were militants and revolutionaries, like members of the Weather Underground. Then there was the "tune in, turn on, drop out" factions -- the hippies, roughly speaking, who wanted to live in rural communes, practice free love, smoke pot laced with LSD, and listen to psychedelic pop. I think what we forget about is the large group of young people who resisted the notion that patriotism could only be expressed by sacrificing yourself to Vietnam. The currently generation of 55-year-old social workers, teachers, and public health activists went into low-paying professions because they thought they could save the world. They challenged the notion that service to one's country only meant killing enemies. They challenged the notion that peace could only be achieved through war. I'm not completely naïve about this. Teaching and other human service professions benefited from (ever-shifting) federal rules that allowed draft deferments to young men in certain fields. And some humanitarian work was allowed as alternative service to men who could convince their draft boards that they were Conscientious Objectors or pacifists. This broke down the barriers between "women's work" and "men's work." We forget that "draft dodging" drove countless young men away from their fathers' gray flannel suit businesses and into the helping professions. When I went to Green Valley School, nearly all the men my age were there because it helped them avoid Vietnam in some way. I think that's a good thing. 9.6.04 |
Notes John Kerry's remarks before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 1971
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