Kurt Vonnegut’s 1967 Heroic Letter to the Draft Board on Behalf of His Son

It seems appropriate—in light of the current debate on guns, drones and war—to reprint the late Kurt Vonnegut’s heroic 1967 letter to the draft board on behalf of his son Mark.

Kurt Vonnegut

November 28, 1967
To Draft Board #1, Selective Service, Hyannis, Mass.

Gentlemen:

My son Mark Vonnegut is registered with you. He is now in the process of requesting classification as a conscientious objector. I thoroughly approve of what he is doing. It is in keeping with the way I have raised him. All his life he has learned hatred for killing from me.

I was a volunteer in the Second World War. I was an infantry scout, saw plenty of action, was finally captured and served about six months as a prisoner of war in Germany. I have a Purple Heart. I was honorably discharged. I am entitled, it seems to me, to pass on to my son my opinion of killing. I don’t even hunt or fish any more. I have some guns which I inherited, but they are covered with rust.

This attitude toward killing is a matter between my God and me. I do not participate much in organized religion. I have read the Bible a lot. I preach, after a fashion. I write books which express my disgust for people who find it easy and reasonable to kill.

We say grace at meals, taking turns. Every member of my large family has been called upon often to thank God for blessings which have been ours. What Mark is doing now is in the service of God, Whose Son was exceedingly un-warlike. There isn’t a grain of cowardice in this. Mark is a strong, courageous young man. What he is doing requires more guts than I ever had—and more decency.

My family has been in this country for five generations now. My ancestors came here to escape the militaristic madness and tyranny of Europe, and to gain the freedom to answer the dictates of their own consciences. They and their descendents have been good citizens and proud to be Americans. Mark is proud to be an American, and, in his father’s opinion, he is being an absolutely first-rate citizen now.

He will not hate.

He will not kill.

There’s hope in that. There’s no hope in war.

Yours truly,
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

Get Out The Vote for President Barack Obama! Four More Years!

Four more years for a man who isn’t afraid to shed tears and be vulnerable. Obama – Biden 2012!

An emotional president Obama at his last campaign rally in Iowa

President Obama’s Full Speech from His Final Rally – Des Moines, Iowa

Rachel Maddow – A presidency of historic consequence

Chris Matthews: Let Me Finish (Nov 5, 2012)

25 reasons from 25 people who are voting Obama:

  1. “The Affordable Care Act is saving my daughter’s life.”
    Stacey, Arizona
  2. “Obama is for the vets. He helped us wind down in Iraq, he’s improved mental health policy with VA benefits.”
    Joel, Minnesota
  3. “Obama stuck his neck out for us, the auto industry. He wasn’t going to let it just die, and I’m driving in this morning because of that, because of him.”
    Brian, Ohio
  4. “Osama bin Laden is dead, and General Motors is alive.”
    Joe Biden, Delaware
  5. “Supreme Court Supreme Court Supreme Court.”
    Andrew, California
  6. “Arithmetic.”
    Bill Clinton, New York
  7. “He cares for the 100%.”
    Shana, Texas
  8. “When Obama came into office, he successfully renewed our country’s place in the community of nations, making cooperation in tackling the world’s challenges possible.”
    Willis, North Carolina
  9. “The actions he has taken with respect to protecting us from terrorism have been very, very solid.”
    Colin Powell, Virginia
  10. “I was really very grateful to him for standing up for those kids who are having a really rough time out there because of their orientation.”
    Jane Lynch, California
  11. “For me, President Obama is our best choice because he has a vision of the United States as a place where we are all in this together.”
    Bruce Springsteen, New Jersey
  12. “He has a real plan for rescuing the economy that passes the ‘math’ test.”
    Teresa, Virginia
  13. “Having someone in office who understands how powerful our voice can be is very important.”
    Jay Z, New York
  14. “I am voting for Barack Obama and Joe Biden because I can trust them to care for the middle class and restore the American dream.”
    Steven, Florida
  15. “The first measure he signed into law after becoming president was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act—so a female high school counselor or physical education teacher can fight for equal pay for equal work.”
    Connie Britton, California
  16. “I believe in the America he wants for my grandchildren.”
    Nancy, Michigan
  17. “We need four more years of repair, of helping the middle class achieve a sustainable economy.”
    James Taylor, North Carolina
  18. “I’ve watched him fight for our country, stand by the middle class, the working class, the military, the education of our children, universal health care, women, the environment, and matters of national and domestic security.”
    Susan, Virginia
  19. “The gifted 12-year-old I taught, whose parents were deported and left her here with her grandmother, will be allowed to stay and finish her education. She’s been in the U.S. since age one.”
    Jamie, North Carolina
  20. “I want our president to place scientific evidence and risk management above electoral politics.”
    Michael Bloomberg, New York
  21. “I have four children who are under 26 and able to stay on my health care plan. That’s been huge.”
    Amy, Pennsylvania
  22. “He’s fighting to defend and better Social Security and Medicare—because millions of Latino seniors rely on them.”
    Cristina Saralegui, Florida
  23. “Thanks to the President’s efforts to keep student loan rates low, I can expect to save nearly $1,000 as I work to repay my student loans. And I don’t have too many of those, thanks to the Federal Pell Grant program.”
    Sam, Minnesota
  24. “It’s been wonderful to have President Obama as a champion for access to health care for all women in this country.”
    Cecile Richards, New York
  25. “Re-electing Barack Obama would lead to a stronger economic recovery than would be the case were Mitt Romney to win on November 6th.”
    Jared Bernstein, Washington, D.C.
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