Parents for Peace

To the Editors:

Parents for Peace was initiated by members of the Columbia University community to invite parents of Columbia students to express their support of the desire of young people to end the war promptly and to encourage concerned members of other educational institutions across the country to undertake similar projects.

With this action we hope to make visible the latent connection between the sentiments and efforts for peace in both the younger and older generations. There persists in the country, as recent polls substantiate only too vividly, a predominantly negative attitude toward students’ efforts to end the war. To change public opinion a public expression of unity with the aspirations of these young Americans is needed from American citizens of voting age. A visible and concrete alliance between parents and their sons and daughters will represent a new political reality that must be recognized by many other citizens of this country as well as its political representatives.

Other Parents for Peace chapters that have formed recently on other campuses have received and still are receiving strong expressions of support from the parents of their students. Among these are Northwestern University, NYU Liberal Arts College at University Heights, Sarah Lawrence College, et al. These first responses were followed by many requests for information from people across the country who want to organize PFP chapters in their communities.

Anybody willing to join our efforts, either by organizing a chapter in his community or by sharing the costs involved in the national coordination of this movement, should please communicate with us.

Gertrud Marcus

Parents for Peace

39 Claremont Avenue

New York, N.Y. 10027