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