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Thursday, November 24, 2011

An Open Letter to My Teenage Son - Victor Lundberg

An Open Letter to My Teenage Son

Dear son,

You ask my reaction to long hair or beards on young people 
Some great men have worn long hair and beards
George Washington and Abraham Lincoln
If to you, 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 shall remain free
That free men at all times will not inflict their personal limitations 
Of achievement on others, 
That demands your own rights as well as the rights of others 
And be willing to fight for this right, you have my blessings
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 that I will not judge any person 
Only as a teenager if you will constantly remind yourself that 
Some of my generation judge people by their race, their belief or the color 
Of their skin and that this is no more right than saying all 
teenagers are drunken dope addicts or glue sniffers 
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 individual must answer within himself
But a warm summer day with all its brightness
All its sound, all its exhilarating breathiness just happened 
God is love, remember that God is a guide and not a storm trooper 
Realize that many of the past and present generation 
Because of a well intended but unjustifiable misconception 
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, is God dead
I sometimes think much 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, 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 
Upon 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 rewards commensurate only with his own efforts 
Than it is doubtful you belong here
If you doubt that people who govern us 
Should be selected by their desire 
To allow us to strive for any goal we feel capable of obtaining 
Then its doubtful you should participate in their selection 
If you are not grateful to a country 
That gave your father the opportunity to work 
For his family to give you the things you have and you do not feel pride 
Enough to fight for your right to continue in this manner, 
Then I assume the blame for your failure
To recognize the true value of our birthright
And I will remind you that your mother will love you 
No matter what you do, because she is a woman 
And I love you too, son
But I also love our country and the principles for which we stand
And if you decide to burn your draft card 
Then burn your birth certificate at the same time
From that moment on, I have no son

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