Samantha Smith (1972 - 1985) I want you to know that you don't have to be an adult to be a "Can Do! Person"… and one shining example is a very inspiring young Can Do! Person named Samantha Smith.
Samantha Smith was from Manchester, Maine... only about 5 miles from where I grew up. In the 1980's the United States' relationship with the Soviet Union was very difficult, and Samantha Smith, like many people in the United States, was scared that the Soviet Union might start a nuclear war with the United States some day. In 1982, when Samantha Smith was only 10-years-old, she decided to do something about this, so she wrote a letter to Soviet leader, Yuri Andropov, asking for peace:
"Dear Mr. Andropov,
My name is Samantha Smith. I am ten years old. Congratulations on your new job. I have been worrying about Russia and the United States getting into a nuclear war. Are you going to vote to have a war or not? If you aren't please tell me how you are going to help to not have a war. This question you do not have to answer, but I would like to know why you want to conquer the world or at least our country. God made the world for us to live together in peace and not to fight.
Sincerely,
At first Samantha didn't hear from Mr. Andropov, but then one day, to her surprise, she received a letter from him. In his letter, he told her that the Soviet Union was "trying to do everything so that there will not be war between our countries."
Mr. Andropov also invited Samantha and her parents to visit the Soviet Union that summer. They accepted the invitation, and while there she visited several Russian cities and traveled to a summer camp where she met and talked with children her own age. She found that many of her new friends also wanted peace. Samantha discovered that in many ways the Russian children were not that different from her and her friends in the United States.
In 1985, when she was only 12-years-old, Samantha Smith and her father were tragically killed in an airplane crash… but not before Samantha became known as an Ambassador for Peace throughout the world. Because of this, Samantha will continue to live on in spirit and memory.
The most important thing to remember is that Samantha was only 10-years-old, but she made a very positive difference. She used her abilities and took action by expressing her concerns and asking questions... action that seems so simple, yet it made a huge difference. By writing a letter to the leader of the Soviet Union, she helped him, and the world, understand the concerns and fears of children in the United States, and throughout the world. As a result, she helped the world start thinking more, and trying harder, to work toward peace.
I remember when Samantha died, and even though I never actually met her, Samantha's death really touched deep into my heart and my soul. Not only did she live nearby, like a kindred neighbor, but she was clearly a bright spirit who truly wanted to inspire peace among all people in the world. It is important that I tell about her story to help continue her life mission and dream of peace.
To learn more about Samantha Smith, visit these web sites:
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