This editorial cartoon was published in the Greenfield Recorder on October 21, 1967. In it, the majority of young men who cooperated with the military draft are contrasted to the minority of those who, during the Vietnam War (1955-1975), refused to comply. The soldier, monumental in appearance and dignified in attitude, represents “THE MILLIONS WHO’LL SERVE THEIR COUNTRY.” So large is this figure that his helmet and feet extend beyond the parameters of the picture frame. Above his head appears the title of the image, “COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS.” By way of contrast, the draft protesters, “THE HUNDREDS WHO REFUSE,” are of a much smaller scale. As a result of their unkempt appearance and agitated poses, they seem to lack the self control of the soldier in whose presence they are dwarfed. In reality, thousands of middle and upper-middle class young men avoided the draft, not by protest, but by applying for deferments due to educational or parental responsibilities, or by serving in National Guard units.
Counting Our Blessings!. Greenfield Recorder, October 21, 1967. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l06-038/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
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