David Harris

During the 1960s, it was the legal duty of every 18-yearold American male to register with the Selective Service System, or draft board for service in the armed forces. Every man was then given a draft card which he was required to carry with him at all times. Those who attended college or graduate school were given deferments, or postponements of their military service. This meant that those who had to fight in Vietnam were disproportionately poor, undereducated, and from minority backgrounds.

Many war protesters burned their draft cards or mailed them back to the Selective Service Administration in protest. Those who refused to fight were put in federal prison for several years.

David Harris was one such protester. After serving as student body president of Stanford University in 1966, Harris became a national leader in the antiwar movement. When he returned his...