Roger Allen LaPorte 1943-1965

Every year at this time, I find myself pondering and remembering Roger LaPorte, a young man and colleague at the Catholic Worker in NYC. It has been fifty five years since the death of Roger by self immolation in opposition to the war in Vietnam and the violence of all wars.  Others have speculated about Roger and his action, sometimes speaking for organizations. I just speak for myself as someone who knew Roger at the time.

Roger worked with me and others at the Worker, cooking meals, feeding the hungry and providing clothing and shelter to men and women on the Bowery, the skid row of the city at the time. Roger had become a part of the small community of mostly young people associated with the Catholic Worker, workers and the peacemakers. His interaction with Dorothy Day was casual like many who volunteered.

His death did create controversy within the Catholic Worker and among its followers. Dorothy Day was impacted by these events, thinking and writing about her duty as the leader of a movement opposed to war and her responsibility for young people demonstrating and going to jail. Thomas Merton took positions from afar. People began speaking for the Worker who had very little knowledge of Roger or his thoughts. Dan Berrigan knew the small community impacted by Roger's death and stepped in to comfort and console. As with so much more, it was a point in time. People evolve in thoughts and knowledge. It's part of our humanity.

Before his action, Roger was raising questions about the inadequacy of people's response to the war and the foolishness, perhaps selfishness, of some of the protests that were taking place. He questioned the draft card burning demonstration that had taken place just a few days before. He knew he opposed the war in Vietnam and had participated in demonstrations against it but was any of it enough? On the morning of Nov. 9th, 1965, Roger walked downtown, poured gasoline on himself and lit a match on the sidewalk in front of the United Nations. He died a slow and painful death the next day. 

Roger's life was clearly important as was his final act. War is real and painful for many. Peacemaking is also real and at times painful. Here are some pieces I've written in the past about Roger, his life and death. I hope he will always be remembered:

Previous Roger LaPorte Postings

Fifty Five Years Ago At Union Square

On Nov. 6, 2020, it will be fifty five years since five men stood together on a platform at Union Square in NYC and burned their draft cards celebrating free speech, opposing the draft and the war in Vietnam. They were joined on the platform by two giants of the peace and social justice movements, Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement and A.J. Muste, clergyman and political activist. The action took place in front of 1500 supporters as well as a large group of counter protesters. It was organized by a coalition of antiwar groups at the time. The lead was taken by the Committee for NonViolent Action. Other organizations involved included the War Resisters League, the Catholic Peace Fellowship and the Catholic Worker.

The five men were Tom Cornell of the Catholic Peace Fellowship, Marc Edelman a young draft resister, Roy Lisker, a writer and activist, David McReynolds of the War Resisters League and myself, Jim Wilson, a resister and Catholic Worker. As it happens I was the only participant who was actually classified as 1-A and eligible for the draft. 

In the first attempt at burning our cards, someone in the crowd shot a fire extinguisher at the flames associated with our burning cards. Due to earlier shouts by counter protesters that we should burn ourselves instead of our cards, we and others thought it may have been gasoline being sprayed and we all stepped back briefly. Regrouping, we relit the pieces of paper that symbolized thousands of young men being called upon to fight a war that many questioned.

There were three aspects to the draft card burning at Union Square. One was to protest the war in Vietnam that was becoming increasingly unpopular. It should be remembered that this was very early in protests against that war. The second was to protest the draft itself and the selective service system that was choosing who would fight in that and other wars, predominantly the poor and men of color. The third aspect was to speak up for the First Amendment and protect the right to free speech and protest. Earlier in the year, Congress had passed a law that specifically made it illegal to destroy a draft card. The penalty was five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine. This legislation was a direct result of more and more people speaking out against the war and public demonstrations that included draft card burning. The legislation was meant to stop the protests and intimidate protestors. A month earlier, in October of '65, David Miller became the first person to publicly challenge the new law and he was quickly arrested and charged. 

On Nov. 6th, the five men mentioned above publicly burned their cards in solidarity and in support of Miller. Three, Cornell, Edelman and Lisker received sentences of six months in prison after a lengthy court battle. One, David McReynolds, wasn't charged due to his age. I plead guilty to the charge and received 2 years probation but I was quickly inducted as a direct result of the card burning. I refused induction and served two years of a three year sentence in Federal Prison.

Today there are many who don't know what draft cards were or what they symbolized. There are those who have no memory of the Selective Service System of that time, the lottery that many feared or the draft itself. Ultimately the draft ended, in no small part because of demonstrations and sacrifices made by many during this period of unrest and protest. Relative to the five protesters that day, Tom Cornell and I are the only participants of the demonstration who are still alive.

Three days after this event at Union Square, a young man and fellow Catholic Worker by the name of Roger LaPorte immolated himself on the sidewalk in front of the United Nations to protest this and every war. He died the following day.

Dorothy Day was one of many women who supported resisters and who worked against the war. Young men, women and families on both sides of the issue were impacted by the war in many different ways and there are still stories to be told. 

Some places to see or learn more:

The Boys Who Said No - website

City of Belief - a novel

Draft Card Burning Video