Today in history

December 15

1815
Convention of New England States recommends protection of citizens from possible draft, Hartofrd, CT.

1930
Albert Einstein urged militant pacifism and the creation of an international war resistance fund. Einstein made his famous statement in New York that if two percent of those called for military service were to refuse to fight, and were to urge peaceful means of settling international conflicts, then governments would become powerless since they could not imprison that many people. He struggled against compulsory military service and urged international protection of conscientious objectors. He concluded that peace, freedom for individuals, and security for societies depended on disarmament; otherwise, “slavery of the individual and the annihilation of civilization threaten us.”

1973
The American Psychiatric Association reversed its long-standing position and declared that homosexuality is not a mental illness and “…deplores all public and private discrimination in such areas as employment, housing, public accommodation…”