All We are Saying, 1970

All We are Saying documentary (15 minutes, 32 seconds) directed by Rev. Al Shands, III. The film documents the March Against Death, a major anti-Vietnam War protest march and gathering that took place in Washington, DC, on November 13-15, 1969. The film includes footage of Pete Seeger leading protesters in song at the Peace Service in Washington National Cathedral.

Rev. Alfred Rives Shands, III (1928-2021), known most often as “Al,” was an Episcopal priest, film producer, author, art collector, and philanthropist who lived in Louisville, Kentucky. He was born in Washington, D.C., and lived with his parents in North Carolina and Delaware as a child. Shands received a BA in English literature from Princeton University and a master’s in divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary, where he was ordained as an Episcopal priest in 1955. In 1967, Shands met and married Mary Norton Ballard in Washington, D.C. In 1969, Al started Alfred Shands Productions, Inc., a documentary production company which he operated until 1983. The Shands moved to Mary's hometown of Louisville in 1970.

Credits
(c) 1970 Alfred R. Shands
Camera: George Voellmer, Albert Ihde, Terry Proch, Sandra Bradley
Editor: Sandra Bradley
Sound: Curt Wittig

Sponsors of the film:
Clergy and Laity Concerned about Viet Nam Inter-faith Committee
Union of American Hebrew Congregations
Executive Council of the Episcopal Church
National Association of Laymen (Catholic)
Produced with the cooperation of the Rev. Philip E. Wheaton, Director of Inter-American Communication and Action

025x69, Alfred Shands Productions, Inc., All We are Saying, Filson Historical Society, Louisville, Kentucky

Alfred Shands Productions, Inc.

025x69

16mm film

15 minutes, 32 seconds

Shands, Alfred Rives, III, 1928-2021

Shands, Alfred Rives, III, 1928-2021

The below autogenerated transcript may contain errors:
A conservative estimate of 250,000 people gathered at the Washington Monument grounds today for the climax of anti-war demonstrations. This figure made it the largest turnout of its kind in the nation's history. The demonstration was preceded by a 40-hour march against death in which 45,000 people walked single file from the Arlington Bridge past the White House to the capital. Each carried the name of an American GI killed in Vietnam or a Vietnamese village destroyed. At the White House, the demonstrators called out the names which they carried. The night portion of the dramatized by a candle light procession. Upon completion of the march against death, there was a mass march up Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House to the monument grounds leading the bearers with caskets containing the names now.

Don't you wish love only love could save this world from disaster? Love, love, only love could save this world from disaster. Don't you wish love could end the confusion? Or is it just one more illusion? Oh

shant.

If we want to have great love, we got to have great anger. If we want to have great love, we got to have great anger. When I see innocent folk shot down, you want me just shake my head and frown. Oh, terrorist shanti salami. We came to the march because my wife and I are very concerned about the war in Vietnam. We have a boy over there and we had another boy come home. We're not only concerned about them, but we're concerned about the future of our country. If we want to hit the target square, better not have blind anger. If we want to hit the target square, better not have blind anger. Or else it'll just be one more time. The correction creates another crime.

My oldest son, Mike Ransom, was killed in Vietnam on May 11th last year. In the last letter he ever wrote, he pleaded, "Tell any friends you have in Washington to quit quibbling and start talking about ways to end this foolishness here." In another letter, he asked a friend to attend every anti-war meeting for him. And so I stand before this congregation to bear witness to my son that we, his family and his friends have come again to Washington as he asked us to and that we will try once more to give meaning to his death by our efforts to bring peace and hope to this troubled nation.

My name is Donna Barnett. I have come from Fayetteville, Arkansas. My husband, Rey, is stationed in Vietnam. I want to believe that Rey is serving the best interests of America, that it is necessary for him to be in Vietnam. But that is a lie. Rey was taken from me to fight a war that is neither necessary nor just. A war that we stumbled into and now it seems cannot find the honesty or strength to walk away from. I want my husband back from Vietnam as all women want their husbands back from Vietnam. Now, when you come to the proper place, turn towards the door of the White House, stop and really shout the name and the state as loudly as you can. Forget the press microphones because Mr. Nixon has just returned from Florida and we want him to hear. So, shout right for the door minutes ago by helicopter. Please, as you pass the marshal holding the peace sign in the center of the White House, please turn and shout out the name on your placker. Ernie Jacobs, South Carolina, William Fanwick, Colorado. David Kaiser, West Virginia. Benjamin, Wisconsin. David Miller, Michigan. Larry K, Colorado. Car Miracle, Wisconsin, South Vietnam. Joseph King North Carolina

Paul Michigander

Colorado Bruce Colorado.

I'm here to express my strong hope for peace for this country. I I this is probably the most religious experience uh that I have had. I've never seen people such united with such uh such feeling and and I'm proud to be here. Where have all the flowers gone? Long time passing.

Where have all the flowers gone? Long time ago. Where have all the flowers gone? Girls have picked them everyone. When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?

Where all the young

I see where all the young No

longer.

When will they ever?

will lay.

Where have all the young

My

name

in the Lord.

When will we ever

will

How long will we depend on a foreign aid program that is so largely military aid? How long

How long will we continue to spend billions for war or its preparations and be unwilling to spend comparable sums to rebuild the cities and eliminate the slums of the whole world?

How long will the white northern nations take advantage of dark southern nations in an unequal economic battle?

I remind you that these are not political questions I'm asking. They are moral questions.

All we

We are

shall

we shall overcome.

We shall overcome.

I do.

We shall overcome.

We shall all be free. We shall all be free.

We shall all be free.

We shall be free.

My heart

shall live in peace. We shall live in peace.

We shall live in peace.

We shall live in

my heart.

Hallelujah.

We are

We are not afraid. We are

We are not

today.

Oh, deep in my heart.

I do.

We shall overcome

some

shall overcome. We shall overcome.

We shall overcome.

We shall overcome.

Oh,

heat.