Letter To My Son

Dear Son,

You ask my reaction to long hair and beards on young people. Some great men have worn long hair and beards, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. If long hair or a beard is a symbol of independence, if you believe in your heart that the principles of this country, our heritage is worthy of this display of pride, that all men should remain free. That free men at all times will not inflict their personal limitations of achievements on others. To demand your own rights as well as the rights of others, and be willing to fight for this right, then you have my blessing.

You ask that I not judge you merely as a teenager, to judge you on your own personal habits, abilities and goals.
This is a fair request, and I promise I will not judge any person only as a teenager, if you will remind yourself that some of my generation judges people by their race and their beliefs, color of their skin, and that this is no more right then saying all teenagers are drunken dope addicts or glue snifters. If you will judge every human being on his own individual potential I will do the same.

You ask me if God is dead, this is a question each person must answer within himself.
With the warm summer day, with all it's brightness, it's sound all it's escalating breathiness just happen? God is love, remember God is a guide and not a storm trooper. Realize that many of the past and present generation because of well intention, but unjustifiable misconceptions, have attempted to legislate morality. This created part of the basis for your generations need to rebel against our society. With this knowledge perhaps your children will never ask the question, Is God Dead?? I sometimes think most of mankind is attempting to work him to death.

You ask my opinion of draft card burners, I would answer this way.
All past wars have been dirty, unfair, and immoral, bloody and second guessed. However history has shown most of them necessary. If you doubt that our free enterprise system in the United States is worth protecting. If you doubt the principles on which this country was founded, that we remain free to choose our religion, our individual endeavors, our method of government. If you doubt that each free individual in this great country should reap awards communicable with only his own efforts. Then it is doubtful that you belong here.

If you doubt that people to govern us should be selected by they're own desire to allow us to strive for any goal we feel capable of attaining, then it's doubtful you should participate in they're selection. If you are not grateful to a country that gave your father the opportunity to work for his family and to give you the things that you have. And you do not feel pride enough to fight for your rights to continue in this manner then I assume the blame for your failure to recognize the true value of our birthright.

I will remind you that I will love you no matter what you do, because you are my son, but I also love our country and the principles for which it stands, principles I fought for. If you decide to burn your draft card, then burn your birth certificate along with it.

Author: Victor Lundberg
Contributed by: Tazzy

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