When we think of this period as demonstrations in the street, that was really important here, was that leading u. S. Senators were citing with the anti war faction. And the amendment to end the war, was appealing to the public. And doing that at the very cruel and rational, thoughtful way. And that was a very important moment for the Anti War Movement. And it wasnt just in the streets, it was in the senate as well. You hadnt seen this before, whats your impressions, your first reactions . Just a tone of this thing . Its a very serious peace. These are very earnest man, who are both republican and democrat, moderates and liberal. People who have come to the conclusion, that the United States should not be siding in this war. That the tragedy has mounted so much for the years, that they have to intervene to stop. And they are trying to use the legislative branch, to bring the ward to one and. In a sense, creating a bit of a constitutional clash, with the president of the United States. Its a very moving piece. And theres a lot of prominence, i knew several of them, i worked with them, and they look much younger in these pictures. But they really are earn just about what theyre saying, they are very convincing to the Television Audience that watch them. I had to watch to get that Television Program in the first place. So they made their most of it. Article one, section eight of the constitution reads as follows. Congress shall have power to raise and support armies. But no appropriation of money to that use shelby for a longer term, and then two years. Our amendment to end the war fulfills the obligations that we have under the constitution. Mick govern had fueled the summit meant, sometimes referred to who were they unaware what this really have done if it past . To back up just a little bit. The president of the United States, Richard Nixon, had announced in november of 1969 the Vietnamization Program to remove american troops from vietnam. And the thought at that point was maybe this is the end of the war, this is cooling down. Actually, it was good for me, because the vietnamization they werent sending supply clerks anymore to get numb. So i was sent to pearl harbor, hawaii, instead. And a lot of us saw this as a release. But then the end of the war going down, and reducing, it seemed to increase and escalate. It seemed to be getting more violent. And it seemed to be spreading into the rest of in the china, and laos, and cambodia. And thats why senator for senator cooper, and frank church, introduced or Cooper Church amendment, to stop the american activity in laos and cambodia. And then a republican for from oregon said he would join mcgovern, they got together to create an amendment that would have ended the United States participation in the war. It wouldve stopped or military actions that here, and the next year we would have withdrawn our troops. So it was a sweeping amendment. They knew they couldnt introduce it as a piece of legislation. So they put it on his amendment to the appropriation that i was going eventually going to pass. And so they would have a chance that way. But they had to develop american support. The day that they introduced that inmate, meant early april 30th, that night president nixon went on television, National Television, and announced he was authorizing american troops in cambodia to attack the vietnamese. In cooperation with the armed forces in South Vietnam attacks are being launched this week to clean out major enemy sanctuaries on the cambodian vietnam border. So this was a huge step forward, escalation of the war. And they broke out on american campaigns, they were there were demonstrations and even the more conservative campuses, they had demonstrations. But the most dramatic, the most tragic took place in this state, just a few days after nixon past there. They were fired and killed students on campus. And a week later there was a similar shooting in jackson state in mississippi. So this was a really tragic moment. There were 100,000 people who marched on washington to protest. The senators felt that the president could get airtime anytime he wanted. He could make these announcements to the public. But they couldnt response, and of course there was no cspan chambers at the time. So if you are lucky enough to be on the news, it was just for a minute or two. Or maybe you would get on the sunday morning use. But essentially, they wanted a chance to respond. So they went to the federal communications station, and asked for equal time. They wanted free time on National Television to respond to the president. They obviously werent grant that. So they took out a 60,000 dollar loan, and purchased a half hour half an hours time on nbc. Broadcast on evening may 12, 1970, at 7 30, right after the news. Although it was up against a news on cbs, at that time. And they made that program. And then several other stations thought the program is so important, that they ran it later. So cbs ran into following sunday. Other network follows, local stations followed. And the program ins went four repeals of petitions. And they were so successful, they raised half 1 Million Dollars at the time, which would be a little over 3 Million Dollars today. Thats how people responded. And huge sacks of males were delivered to the senators, Office People writing into tell them they supported this. The public support apparently wasnt enough, because when the senate eventually get around to vote it, it was defeated i think by 55 to 39. And that was substantial. Actually, there were several anti were senators and voted against it because they didnt like the principle of telling president in the middle of the war that you had to stop. And they didnt want to they wanted to give the president a little more time to withdraw. But it was showing that there was a significant set valleys for ending the war. And it was important that they did pass the couture term in mint, although it wouldve taken troops from cambodia. And it was the making of the first steps towards, eventually the passage of the war packed in 1973. Which was passed over nixons veto. So this was an important first step. And also, and introduced senator macgregor to a lot of the public. And just two years later, he would be the democratic nominee for president. He would lose very badly in that election, but still, it was an indication of a growing strength of the Anti War Movement in the United States. And i think the principal stumbling right now, is that we are somehow worried about losing face. We are worried about is embarrassing the policy makers, and this and there. We are worried about admitting that perhaps we made a mistake. Actually, i think it would not contribute to the it would contribute to the greatness of the amanda states, if as a free people we could just admit that we are capable of making a mistake. And then do the best we can to put an early end to it. This is not a change in policy at all, its continuation that the old policy. What can we learn today as we are just about to watch this program, from just listening to how the senators framed the debates and the arguments, and whats happening in the war . Why is it important to study this . Well, when you consider how polarized politics have become, its quite fascinating to see this is a bipartisan group. This is two republicans and three democrats. When you consider how sort of flamboyant politics have become in recent years, these are very silver linings. They are making serious steaks, they have a good dialog between themselves, about what needed to be done. Theyre also pointing out the tragic nature of the war. And that point, about 40,000 americans had died in the war, and countless vietnamese had that in the wine. One of the senators says, i think was goodell, says if we dont pass this now, we could have another 20,000 casualties. And in fact, the vietnam war in washington, has 58,000. So almost 20,000 more names. Where added after that. After the broadcast was made, and they were quite right about this. The seriousness of course, the conclusion of the war, was no different in 1973 or 1975, then it wouldve been a 1970. For that matter in 1965. Looking back at this point, they were right, and president johnson and president nixon were absolutely wrong and what they did in vietnam. And the United States has separated from that ever since. Donald richie, thank you very much for joining us via zoom. Thank you. Now from may 12th, 1970, here is that broadcast. Today, in the bright springtime of 1970, the United States of america has been ripped apart. Citizens bludgeon each other in the streets of new york. Students die in a campus eruption. Buildings explode. Banks burn. The nations colleges are shut down. The population is polarized, and there are parades of protest everywhere. Not since the days of the civil war have americans treated each other like this. At the heart of the trouble lies the war in vietnam. It is a strange war aware that we have to keep explaining to ourselves year after year. And it is a difficult war to explain, particularly to the people who have to go and fight on its inconclusive battlefields. But while all the top goes on, the word goes on to. It continues tonight, as it has continued for a decade. Tonight, americans will die in vietnam. Tonight americans will die in cambodia. What can we do . On the day before we went and thick and bode, a amendment number 609 was introduced on the floor of the United States senate. I was cosponsored by a Bipartisan Coalition of 20 senators. These republicans and democrats call it the amendment to end the war. And they regarded as a realistic new trust for peace. The Senate Debate on it will begin in just a few days. In the next half hour, five of the senators will make a case for the this amendment. If the American People can effectively urge its passage upon the remembers of the house and senate, if the amendment and the war is passed, then the traditional right of declaring whether or not we shall commit americans to battle, will be returned to the congress, worried belongs. Through protest, petition, and an act of law, we shall have at last ended the vietnam war. There is no way, under the constitution, by which the congress of the United States can act either to continue this for, or to end it, except by a decision on whether we will appropriate funds to finance the war. Article one, section eight of the constitution reads as follows. The Congress Shall have power, to raise and support armies. But no appropriation of that money might be used shall be for a longer term than two years. Our amendment to end the war fills the obligations that we have under the constitution. The amendment clearly states that unless the Congress Shall have declared war, but no money is appropriated on the act to which we attach the amendment, or any other law, shall be used in vietnam after december the 30th 1970 except for the withdrawal of american troops and other provisions. It provides that no money shall be used for military operations in the country of laos after december of 1970. It provides that no moneys shot be authorized for the use of any military operations in cambodia 30 days following the adoption of the amendment. And that all troops shall be withdrawn from vietnam, all american troops, by june, 1971 unless the president of the United States shoved deem that its important enough to extend that time by requesting the congress to pass a joint resolution authorizing such extension times. The amendment to end the war provides continuing funding for full protection of american troops during the total period of our withdrawal. It also provides Adequate Funding to provide political asylum for all those south yet nominees and other civilians or if there may be great concern of a bloodbath. And there are adequate provisions that the civilians may be placed in other places for their own protection. It also provides for a continuing Negotiation Exchange of prisoners. Very soon, the senate will be acting on another amendment authored by senator cooper and myself, which is addressed to the cambodian situation and sets the limits on that venture to those declared by the president. But this and the war amendment takes the full step and provides an orderly method for the extra caution of the United States from the war in vietnam itself what were looking for is a reasonable way to accomplish that withdraw. And i think that the principal stumbling block now is that we are somehow worried about losing face. We are worried about embarrassing the policy makers that scientists in their. We are worried about admitting that perhaps that we made a mistake. Actually, i think it would contribute to the greatness of the United States if, as a free people, we could just admit that we are capable of making mistake and then do the best we can to put an early end to it. It is not a change in policy at all. Its a continuation of the old, old policy. It is dedicated to war, not peace. It means that the war will go on and continue to go on for years to come. It means that theres been no one speaking, in this administration or the last, to end our support for the commitment in vietnam. It means we can look into the future for at least a decade in all probability to a quarter of 1 million men involved in vietnam. I think every mother and father in america who has a son right now that is five or six or seven years old or anywhere up to 15 or 16, should well realize that that boy is going to be involved in our future commitment in vietnam under existing policy. Weve come to the point where we realize, and i think the president realize when he went into cambodia, that it will not work. I think its time that the American People recognized that the president doesnt have the power to declare war or make war alone. He can ask congress to declare that. I think thats what we are discussing here, and urging support from the American People for, its so important. Congress can do this and its not in a responsible action with the walls falling all around american prestige and power in the world if we decide we are going to get out. Congress would simply be saying okay, we fought for seven years, we bled and died, we have spent our resources on this, and now the time has come to say to the South Vietnamese take it over. We will give you time. Over a period of time, we will be withdrawing, and you can keep on getting eight if you fight for yourself in your own civil war. We are not going to stay there and fight and blood and die for you any longer. But the point is simply this, its no longer the opinion of president s and no longer the opinion of senators. Its the evidence of history, of over 40,000 deaths and the amount of resources expended that proves each one of those escalations to be wrong. I say how many more american men have to be heaped upon that funeral funeral pyre of war to disprove a theory or doctrine of military action that has been proven wrong each time it has been acted upon . After all, the United States is not going to impose any permanent solution in asia to settle asian problems among asian people on the asian mainland. Now the idea that we are going to do that is it runs against the whole kind of history. What is happening in asia is that the western powers are moving out and the asians are taking over for themselves. Vietnamization, as it has been pointed out here, it is not the method for extricateing us from this. It will merely perpetuate our involvement in this war. Half of the troops may come home and the other half will stay inevitably. It does not serve the interests of the United States to maintain the current military base in southeast asia. The president reiterated the other night that he was going to continue to bring back these 150,000 men and the next 12 months. Many americans may feel that means they will all be coming back and nobody is going to be going. Under a policy of bringing back 150,000 men and the next 12 months, we will send to South Vietnam 276,000 men who are not there now. They are now in the military or about to go into the military. We will bring back more, 150,000 more than we send, but in the rotation process there will be this 276,000 men going over there to fight and perhaps die. What would we have accomplished, or what evidence is there based on past history to lead us to believe that we would be in any better position, or that South Vietnam would be in any better position one year or five years or ten years hands after tens of thousands of additional americans have been killed then we are now . What would we have gained . We have created a crisis of confidence and a deep disillusionment and an alienation that doesnt just affect a narrow fringe of radicals on campuses. Anyone who goes to the campuses knows that this feeling extends to millions of young americans. If they grow up without a belief in the system, that, it seems to me, has far greater bearing upon the future of the United States than anything we have now or have ever had at stake. I think one of the great tragic byproducts of all of this has been the spiritual scarring of our own people. The questioning of our own minds. Were involved in a body count war with total military supremacy with indiscriminate bombing and far ranging effects on the ecology of those nations by spurring chemicals and driving the people off of the land and into the cities. Completely changing the conflicts of that Little Nation involving 16 to 18 Million People. And we ask ourselves can we be happy about the fact that weve killed two 10,000 vietnamese and suffered 300 deaths ourselves in the process . That this complete psychology that we have of destroying life at any expense and what the results. Its brutalizing internally and we find our young people turning away from it going to canada to avoid a war they consider immoral and attitudes they consider unrealistic in a time and age of where we really are questioning ourselves to find National Purpose again. What we need to understand is that there is no way to separate the cost of this war in asia from the cost of our own society. There were stories in the press recently that some of our poor people, some of the black citizens and other minority groups, have shied away from participating in protests against the war on the grounds that they share their concerns are with hunger and with racism and with poverty. But what i think all of our fellow americans need to understand is that the answer to these other problems will not come until we put this war behind us and the enormous drain that its taking here on our society. The person who is worried about inflation ought to realize that war is a principal cause of it. The man who is worried about the stock market skidding ought to realize that the stock market jitters are associated, to a great extent, with the war. As youve said so many times, the governors and the city councilman and others who are worried about where the money is going to come from for those new schools arent new sewage projects or other things, they have to understand that the war is robbing them of those possibilities. We are talking about a 16 to 18 Million People in South Vietnam. 23 million blacks in america have not been able to find justice in this great country. Untold thousands of American Indians who have never been brought to their fulfillment. You will work so long and so energetic in the field of hunger in america and poverty with some 35 Million People living in poverty with the very foundations shaking of every major city in the nation. With the great basic undergirding of this nation that has always kept it stable. With those minorities, is now being drained off and siphoned off in the name of somehow saving face in southeast asia. So when we talk, i think you would agree, that there seems to be a great paradox. The cost of the war last year was 23 billion dollars. So you can say in just about specific terms, that one years were cost of this war would clean up all of our waters in the United States. The half hour that this program is being telecast to the american public, to produce that or translate that in terms of cost of the war, the federal government will be spending 1 Million Dollars just this one half hour period. In vietnam . Just in vietnam. The irony is made that the world will think we are weak if we withdraw from vietnam. I think of all the arguments that are made, that is the least impressive. Actually, the world knows we have the power to exterminate every living inhabitant in vietnam if we unleashed it. We could salt it over the way roam salted overcorrected. It is not our par or thats in question out there, it is the wisdom of our policy. The world sees the biggest, richest, strongest nation dropping more bombs on North Vietnam that we dropped in all of europe in the second world war. They see this tremendous disproportion of strength and wealth. That puts us in a very bad light in the world. In fact, this war has done more to undermine americas moral leadership in the world than anything that has ever happened to us. And the faster we put the matter right and southeast asia, and end this war, the sooner we will begin to wind back again the respect that this country ought to have throughout the world. What do you say to the people who are really concerned, and i know they are concerned, about the fact that we will lose face in the world . You know, that we wont be a first rate power as it has been implied by our chief executives in the past as well as the president. The concerns of honest americans who want to get out of the war and stop the killing in the dying. If they say this is americas place in the world, but unless we accept this challenge, we are somehow failing in world leadership. I think this is the question in the minds of millions of americans today. What constitutes leadership . Not just power of armament, but power of ideals. I say that we are losing in the world today by continuing to be, in vietnam. Its not a matter of national pride, its a matter of whether we are practicing what we preach. Its a matter of whether our ideals that were embodied in the constitution and the hearts of the American People are really at the center of our policy, or whether we are out here with some peripheral object a face saving and so forth. I say if its to be humiliated to admit we are wrong and save lives, then the sooner we do this and the better its going to be for our nation. I do not consider it humiliation. I considered greatness because only the powerful can take the chance of admitting error and we are that powerful today. Most other civilizations that have died have died from within. That is happening now in the United States of america if we dont get out of this war. We clothes this war in the secret words of justice and freedom in peace. But justice and freedom and peace are not at stake out there. You know, the government we are supporting is not a democratic government, its a incompetent and corrupt military dictatorship. And its involved in a war with a another dictatorship. This is a war between two dictatorships for control of vietnam. So i think we make a grave mistake when we try to close such a war in terms of the ideals for which this country should stand. Freedom is not an issue for the people of vietnam. One way or the other, the kind of freedom we know, is not going to be a gift of this war. Good question, frank, and particularly george, when we talk about this amendment to end the war, do most americans is how can i support this amendment . And at the same time, support my country, and involve the way we were in the last 15 years. I think if the people could resolve this in their own minds, very willingly, bring this war to an end through this amendment. The president s of the other night that we if we leave yet not now were going to be through. I think he said were going to be finished as a peacemaker in asia. Well i think we ought to quit trying to be the policeman for asia. Lets quit trying to be a policeman and pacifier in asia alone. How ironic it would be, if at long last we succeeded in pacifying southeast asia, and couldnt pacifier on society. The invasion of cambodia, i think, was truly the straw that finished. Is the writing to me, at about eight to ten to one, against the president s posture right now, in southeast asia. And in the belief and the hope that the senate as the United States will offer the leadership, you know, to alter this posture. Everything we have said here tonight, is completely on partisan. I think we have all been as critical of the democratic president s, as we have of republican president s. And we should be considering this in terms of a political or partisan advantage one way or another. This war transcends parties. And i know a great many republicans as well as democrats who think our policy now is wrong, and we ought to get out of. It i think its a growing number of americans whatever the Political Party believes. I think what were trying to do, with our amendment and the war, needs to say that that is too important to this nation, to place on the shoulders of one man. Its too big a risk, to ask one meant to the side alone. The president ought not to have make this judgment alone, and under the constitution, hes not supposed to make that decision alone. What were proposing to do, this year, is to share that responsibility and whatever political risk, whatever opportunity, whatever hazard is involved in making the decision to end this war. We are prepared, as elected officials, to stand up on that question and answer yes or no. And then take whatever blame or whatever credit is involved. And i think were providing a situation where it president s can withdraw fasters, where he can make a determination of when the war is going to, and by a fix date. And he will not bear the whole on himself. We recognize that when you make such a tragic mistake, there is no painless way to get out of that mistake. We were saying we were shell that vein, we will share that responsibility. Lets recognize a mistake, and get out of it. What do we say to the American Parents who have sons fighting in vietnam . It dissipates riyadh it move way are taking in this edmund meant to end the war . Its this support of their sons and the fighting men in vietnam . There is no better way that to protect them young men who are fighting a rare, and to bring them home. And i dont know any military person, any responsible position, who doubts that if we made our declaration for coming out, that they would be brought home safely. As long as we stay there, the casualties are going to go up. And if president Nixon Program works, over the next three years we are talking about a minimum of 5000 more americans dead. And probably closer to 20,000. Four or five times that many casualties, and 45 times that many vietnamese deaths in the process. Not to mention the billions of dollars. And now, what we are proposing, is not a disorganized and uncoordinated outcry. We are proposing a specific legislative act, that will have the full force of law and, it will say in effect no more money for southeast asia, or any purpose other than arranging for the systematic and safe withdrawal of our forces. For the exchange of prisoners. For asylum, for those people that might be threatened by our withdrawal. Its been quarterly, constitutional procedure, to bring about the end of this warm. Now this brings to congress back to the role it should have been playing all along. It asks the congress to assume its responsibility to the American People. And it brings our democratic system back to life again. And a balanced constitutional manner. And that in itself, is as important in the long run, to the life of this republic, as ending the war in vietnam. What do we say to the American People who have been watching and who would say, will we agree with you, but our voice is not very loud . Im only one person, im just a little person. You hear that many times. Does that voice have a place in this whole great issue of war and peace . You see were tired of speeches, we want some actions. A lot of the young people say this to us. A lot of the older per se this. All right, turn it off, we agree with you but what have you done about it, what can you do about, it what can we do about it . Who are asking people can make their views known responsibly to their congressmen. And we are asking the congress and the senate of the United States to begin to assume its responsibility of the constitution. For years and years, weve abdicated, weve given all the power to the president when it came to warm. We sat on our hands and done nothing. And hope that the people would look the other way. Well, the time has come, to reassert our responsibility, and to stand up, and vote on the question of war and peace. You know, we have been trying shrineing in silence, in the last year or so. And actually, i think the highest patriotic duty any citizen has to speak up. To speak his convictions and his mind. And that is the hope we have to give the whole American People. That there is this channel open to them, and we are if other like, us on this power structure so to speak, are receptive, we are receptive and inviting them to participate in this amendment in the war. This is what we must do. We need their help. Even if we had 40 senators presently on this amendment, and we need the help of the people of the United States, there is no other way we can succeed. And the voice of the people counts, in the final analysis. If im going to exercise my judgment, and to follow my conscience, in a position of responsibility, i must tell their people what i think is right, and i must tell what i think is wrong. And expect them to support those positions, or to oppose them. But for alert sake, dont be quiet. Right, support, or oppose, but do something in these critical times. If you want to cast your vote and a warren indochina, there is something you must do in the next few day. Right to recongressman or your senator, just a simple words i vote for the amendment and the war in southeast asia. And theres Something Else you could do. Take a sheet of paper, and right at the top, we the undersigned favor the amendment and the war. Believe room for names and addresses. Then go out to work, church, to the supermarket, wherever you can collect signatures, and get people to sign, to agree with you. Send those petitions, to your congressmen and to your senators. The president of the United States, rightfully, can command all media to bring a message to the people of the United States. Anytime he deems he has a message of importance. For those of us who have different viewpoints, and wish to express those to you, the American People, it requires that we seek your assistance. Remember that 66 cents out of every tax dollar now goes for juan. A dollar for peace, can go a long way. So send your contribution, whatever it may be, in order that we can continue to speak up. Make your checks out to amendment to end the war. Post office box won a, ben franklin station, washington d. C. Let me close this broadcast, on a very concrete and specific point. What we are proposing here, is that for the first time in the long history of this war, the senate of the United States stand up and be counted yes or no on the question of whether we wished award to continue, or to be ended. We propose to do that, in a vote that will come, in a very short time. We pledge you that this vote will be held, this is not a sense of the congress resolution, it is not a debaters point, it is an active law which if carried, will put an end to this war in a systematic way. We ask earnestly tonight, for your support and that effort. Every area of the world in 1968 the general strategy is producing results the enemies hopes are down if when the chips of john the worlds most powerful nation acts like a pitiful, helpless in just a few days, debate on the amendment and the war will begin on the floor of the United States senate. If the American People can effectively urge its passage upon the members of the house and senate, if the amendment to end the war is passed, then the traditional right of declaring whether or not we should commit americans to battle will return to the congress, where it belongs. Through protests, petition, and inactive law, we shall have at least last ended the vietnam war. Wbwx next, Richard Nixon except his partys president ial nomination for a second term at the 1972 Republican National convention in miami beach, florida. President nixon won the 1972