I am anti-war and lament the imminent loss of American Hero Patriots like Daniel. In my opinion and having lived the history of the sixties I now see there was always an understandable but morally weak underpinning of the 1960’s anti-war movement. It was not anti-war. It was anti-draft. It confused me that my generation of JFK Democrats so anti-war in the sixties could endorse an American/NATO proxy War in Ukraine. The public reaction to Zelensky’s recent unscripted request to draft American youth in order to support him explains that apparent paradoxical opinion with regard to Vietnam (which would not have occurred if JFK had not been taken from us in a domestic Coup D’état on Nov 22, 1963) and Ukraine. American public support of this proxy war has fortunately been dealt a death blow and we have awakened. You can have our trillions of tax dollars but not our kids. We must dedicate our efforts now to American Hero Patriots like Daniel with our moral revulsion to all war as we strive for world peace as JFK so eloquently guided us:
COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY, WASHINGTON, D.C., JUNE 10, 1963
“What kind of peace do I mean? What kind of peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope and to build a better life for their children--not merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and women--not merely peace in our time but peace for all time.”
I so agree with your comment. I was a young man at that time, and only joined the Army to avoid being drafted a few months later. Sometimes I think that the only way to revive a large antiwar movement in this stupefied country would be to bring back the draft.
Caitlin- Thank you for your excellent substack.
I am anti-war and lament the imminent loss of American Hero Patriots like Daniel. In my opinion and having lived the history of the sixties I now see there was always an understandable but morally weak underpinning of the 1960’s anti-war movement. It was not anti-war. It was anti-draft. It confused me that my generation of JFK Democrats so anti-war in the sixties could endorse an American/NATO proxy War in Ukraine. The public reaction to Zelensky’s recent unscripted request to draft American youth in order to support him explains that apparent paradoxical opinion with regard to Vietnam (which would not have occurred if JFK had not been taken from us in a domestic Coup D’état on Nov 22, 1963) and Ukraine. American public support of this proxy war has fortunately been dealt a death blow and we have awakened. You can have our trillions of tax dollars but not our kids. We must dedicate our efforts now to American Hero Patriots like Daniel with our moral revulsion to all war as we strive for world peace as JFK so eloquently guided us:
COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY, WASHINGTON, D.C., JUNE 10, 1963
“What kind of peace do I mean? What kind of peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope and to build a better life for their children--not merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and women--not merely peace in our time but peace for all time.”
https://www.jfklibrary.org/archives/other-resources/john-f-kennedy-speeches/american-university-19630610
I so agree with your comment. I was a young man at that time, and only joined the Army to avoid being drafted a few months later. Sometimes I think that the only way to revive a large antiwar movement in this stupefied country would be to bring back the draft.
Thank you Lee! Absolutely love the JFK quote!