Pathos of 'Fuck the Draft'

The first thing the audience may notice about this poster, besides the rather blunt wording, would be the curious expression on the man's face. It's a sort of half smile, a expression that says he thinks burning his draft card is a cheeky thing to do. Of course, doing such a thing would have been interpreted as borderline treasonous at the time, especially to the older generation, those who generally supported the war. That expression flies in the face of the grave, serious nature of the draft, and says to its audience that it's okay to object, we think it's unfair too. The expression contrasts the shock factor of seeing someone burn their draft card at that point in time, which can even be interpreted as an act of fearlessness. The boldfaced vulgar caption only adds to this attitude. The poster was mean to provoke a feeling of confidence, and empower draft objectors who were being persecuted by society. It appeals to feelings of power and determination in these young people, bringing up the spirits of those who felt as if their own country saw them as cowards. Who can call someone a coward who so boldly stands behind their opinions?