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William Sloane Coffin and Jim Bowman discuss history, religion, and the impact of the Vietnam War. Content Warning: This conversation includes racially and/or culturally derogatory language and/or negative depictions of Black and Indigenous people of color, women, and LGBTQI+ individuals. Rather than remove this content, we present it in the context of twentieth-century social history to acknowledge and learn from its impact and to inspire awareness and discussion.
An Episcopal priest, Thomas Hayes, talks about the Vietnam War deserters who fled to Stockholm. Unlike Canada, Sweden offered asylum and publicly welcomed resisters. According to Thomas, the men who went to Stockholm worked jobs and some took classes. Thomas also explained that the deserters never put down those who were fighting in the war.
In an interview with Studs Terkel, Buddhist monk, peace activist, and poet Thich Nhat Hanh. The conversation focuses on the devastating effects of the Vietnam War; they discuss the loss of culture and poetry in Vietnam, the anti-war protestors in America and Vietnam, and the sadness and resignation of the Vietnamese. Thich Nhat Hanh talks about America’s role in the war, and his experiences campaigning for peace in the United States and speaking with U.S. anti-war veterans.
Socialist Party leader and Presbyterian minister Norman Thomas discusses social progress, his political views, and where society is headed with Studs Terkel. This is the final part of his interview.
Jane Kennedy talks about her political views and her view of society as a whole. She also discusses her experience in an all women's prison and how the prison system dehumanizes the inmates.
Church leaders Howard Schomer, Elsie Schomer and Rabbi Jacob Weinstein talk about their experiences with the Vietnamese people they encountered. The group determined no matter who they came in contact with, two things were true, they were never told that they should leave Vietnam and that all the Vietnamese people longed for peace.
The interview continues with Father John McKenzie and Dr. Howard Schomer talking about fear and dissent. Schomer says Christians have the duty to dissent when they believe their beliefs are being contradicted by policy. He also talks about not understanding a dampening down of the human mind when it comes to human issues. Father McKenzie adds that society is made up of the best educated ignoramuses that ever existed.
Whether in the United States or Vietnam, Dr. Schomer asks what are our personal responsibilities for the atrocities? Father John McKenzie talks about a lowering of people's moral tone. People have put their morality in their pockets, so as to get cleared of something and not get involved, added Father McKenzie.
Fr. Daniel Berrigan speaks about his early life, and relationship with his family, on his becoming a priest, and on being an anti-Vietnam War activist.