I was reminded of Alice's Restaurant in a post by Cultural Offering, referring to Ray Visotski's blog post for Thanksgiving. Many consider it a Thanksgiving tradition, and play it on that day. My memory of it is as an anti-war anthem during my college years from 1965 to 1969. We were all subject to the draft, and sweated out lottery number drawing. I was an R.O.T.C. cadet in college, which was mandatory the first two years; but, in 1967, it became a lifeline. If I had to go the war, I wanted to go as an officer, and that required two more years of R.O.T.C. training. Upon graduation, the commission I received turned into a lifeline. I found it ironic that a military commission turned out to be the reason I avoided VietNam, when I joined the Reserves and received active duty deferments for the three years of law school. But, I digress. The horror of war, in which many died, was spared to the luckiest of us; but, the song's message, delivered at a time in which most Americans give thanks, still rings true today. I am sure that many of us carry survivor's guilt; but, we must let that go. Be thankful you are alive; but, remember those who have died. I love this version of the song, due to the art and subtitles with the complete lyrics. It may be an idealistic dreamer's dream; but, what if every person in the world sang it?
Rick, you have me by a few years, so you have a different, yet very interesting perspective. Thanks for the color commentary.
Posted by: Ray Visotski | November 27, 2022 at 08:08 AM