Uphold Article XIII
August 20, 1952 — The Knickerbocker News (letter)

The Mossadegh Project | December 24, 2018                               



‘Enslavement of U.S. Youth’
Puzzling to Reader

To the Editor of The Knickerbocker News:
Perhaps I am behind the times on my study of current events, but in the past few years I have not read in the Congressional Record, or anywhere else, about the repeal of Article XIII in the amendments of the Constitution of the United States of America.

The amendment to which I refer is written as follows:

Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime where of the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Section 2. Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Of course the boys who are drafted receive money, but what is that? Men receive money while in jail, do they not? If our congressmen are unable to enforce Article XIII, then is it asking too much of them to present a bill whereby the youth who are enslaved might have a right to vote? If this bill became a law, it might break down the slavery angle to some extent.

I have heard a great deal of criticism about our youth of today. But, stop to think, if leaders do not respect the laws of our Constitution, then how or why should youths respect the laws of the land?

We adults set a pretty sorry sight in their eyes. I am sure we must.

We can be sure, too, that the teen-agers will do no worse with their voting than we adults have done.

Can we truthfully boast of fair play in our country? If we do, it’s because of our ignorance to Article XIII.

“Draft teenagers, but they don’t know enough to vote—”

I am sure I do not know, but I hope they will see the light of the Civil War shining through on our present problem. In 1863 slavery was abolished in the United States by President Lincoln’s proclamation. [Abraham Lincoln’s Empancipation Proclamation] Why has it been junked?

THE HOT PEN
(Name submitted.)



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Related links:

Americans Inconsistent on Negroes | The Salt Lake Tribune (May 1951 letter)

Will History Repeat? | The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Sept. 1952 letter)

Acting the Dictator | The Knickerbocker News, August 20, 1952



MOSSADEGH t-shirts — “If I sit silently, I have sinned”

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