Dr. Benjamin Spock addresses Vietnam, marijuana and alcohol

Typed letter signed, on letterhead. Dated February 22nd, 1970. [With] Photographic portrait signed. Fine.

Benjamin Spock, famous pediatrician, whose book Baby and Child Care (1946) is one of the bestsellers of all time, writes to a concerned fan. The book's premise to mothers is "you know more than you think you do". Spock was the first pediatrician who studied psychoanalysis to try to understand children's needs and family dynamics. In this letter, Dr. Spock addresses three controversial topics in two paragraphs, namely the Vietnam War- which at that time was still grinding on, the "hysterical fear of marijuana" and its relative danger, and the fact that in his view it is less harmful than alcohol.