This 1962 letter to John F. Kennedy reveals Rustin's fight for justice on behalf of war tax resister Max Sandin, a principled man suffering government retaliation for his pacifist beliefs during the Cold War.
During the height of the Cold War, the U.S government aggressively pursued military buildup and nuclear weapons development, creating tension with pacifist communities. War tax resisters like Max Sandin, who refused to fund military spending on moral grounds, faced severed financial penalties including loss of Social Security benefits. Rustin's advocacy reflected the broader struggle between individual conscience and state authority during an era when dissent was often viewed as unpatriotic or even subversive, highlighting the intersection of pacifist principles with civil rights activism.
Rustin, Bayard. Letter defending war tax resister Max Sandin, October 4, 1962. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. https://www.jfklibrary.org/asset-viewer/october-4-1962.
