Natick High School - Sassamon Yearbook (Natick, MA)

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THE SASSAMON 7 violence are symptoms of pressures, emotions, and maladjustments which have become nation wide. The spread of intolerance is not primarily a threat to the intended victims, but to the whole country. If the day ever comes when tolerance gives way to internal enmities. persecutions and discriminations, it will be the end of American civilization. The inevitable cycle of organized intolerance is that it destroys the individual, the family, the community, then the state. In contrast, tolerance is constructive. It creates, builds, unities. It gives strength and nobility to the individual, the family, the community, the state. The fight against intoler- ance is not merely our duty as decent, human beings, but it is the keystone of our survival as free individuals and as a prosperous nation. The ideal human relation- ship is that of cooperation rather than confiict. It has been a long time since early Americans startled the world by proclaim- ing that all men were created equal, that they were endowed by their Creator, with certain inalienable Rights, that among these were Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Now that the war has created a fresh danger to our way of living, we must follow these principles conscientiously. There will be no victory for a demo- cratic way until we make them a reality to everyone living in this democracy. In all our dealings with other people. regardless of race, nationality or creed. let us practice the Golden Rule. We should try to treat each individual whom we meet as we would like him to treat us. Let us not let America be destroyed now by discrimination and enmities. For America is: THE LAND VVHIQRE HATE SHOULD DIE This is the land where hate should dic- No feuds of faith, no spleen of race, No darkly brooding fear should try Beneath our Hag to find a place. Lol every people here has sent Its sons to answer freedoms call: Their lifeblock is the strong cement That builds and binds the nation's wall. This is the land where hate should die- Tho dear to me my faith and shrine, I serve my country well when I Respect beliefs that are not mine. I-Ie little loves his land who'd cast Upon his neighbors word a doubt, Of cite the wrongs of ages past From present rights to bar him out. This is the land where hate should die- This is the land where strife should cease, VVhere foul, suspicious fear should fly Before our Flag of light and peace. Then let us purge from poisoned thought That service to the State we give, And so be worthy as we ought Of this great Land in which we live! Aramis M ,nc W lLsoN.

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1, THE SASSAMON WELCOME-CRA DUATION The youth of today is the America of tomorrow. XYe of the graduating class of N45 are ready and willing to help make that tomorrow a hetter and a happier world. Many of our boys who are llut here tonight are in the service of their country, and although they were not raised to wear a uniform and light, we are proud of the line job they are doing in the far-flung battlefields of the world. However, most of us who leave here tonight will never don a uniform or carry a gun, but we will make you proud of our willingness and ability to serve in the countless other ways that are needed to bring victory and the end of this war. May we justify the faith you have in us. 4 1' 'Y THIS IS THE LAND WHERE HATE SHOULD DIE A house divided against itself cannot stand. These immortal words of Lincoln should be heeded today when our nation's unity is threatened by racial and religious intolerance and prejudice. Most other problems will not he solved if the American people are divided into mutually hostile and suspicious groups, sections and classes. More than that: even if solutions were possible under such condi- tions, they would hardly be worth achieving. They would be empty victories, utterly meaningless, if the character of our .American civilization were changed in the process. NVe know America to be a land where men are free and in which they have equal opportunity, regardless of race, color, creed or place of birth. XN'ithout these characteristics it would not be our America, but it would seem an alien country to lls. Even though there are fifty--seven varieties of Gods humanity in our country this helps to add to America's spirit and glory for each in his own way adds to our daily life. The need for unity has never been more acute. Some boys have been accepted into the armed services before they were accepted by their own neighbors. If Americans of all racial backgrounds are good enough to die for us, they are good enough to live with us. The average man should realize that this racial discrimina- tion is not in harmony either with the traditional American ideals of equality of opportunity for all men, or the Christian ideals of justice, mercy, and love. The present generation of American youth is faced with the task of strengthening our democracy against this disastrous situation. The result of a poll tax is to keep the poor from voting or to keep the Negroes from voting, or both. If you keep the poor from voting, you make a joke of jeffer- son. lf you keep the Negroes from voting, you make a joke of Lincoln. If you do both those things you make a joke oflthe American idea. There is a tendency to forget the racial antagonisms that happen every day, which help to spread the alien doctrines of intolerance. They should not be for- gotten but the conditions should be investigated and corrected. These episodes of

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ii T H E s A s s A M o N FAREWELL ADDRESS .Ns we, the class of 1945, set forth to take our rightful places in this world, our tlloltgllls center on the future which we face. For the past four years our minds have been filled with war and all its horrors. At this time we can raise our Iliollgllls to higher levels and think of winning the peace-and what is more nnportaint- keeping the peace. That will be the duty of our generation. We must prove to the world that America has the ability to lead the whole world into a bright new tomorrow in which the hopes of the human heart may be achieved. XVe must prove that there can be life, liberty. and the pursuit of happiness available to all fiod-fearing men regardless of race, color, and creed. llul we as individuals must first learn to control our own moral standards. 'l'hc choices we make will determine the way America will succeed. lt is our duty lo bring forth and uphold the highest standards of right living, clear thinking, and unselfish interests. This is our national heritage. Novv, for the first time in five years, a graduating class can look forward to ii hrighi future. 'l'he great war which has thrown our lives into chaos has reached its final stages. Although many of our classmates are already in the armed services and more of us will soon receive military training, we can foresee the reconstruc- tion period and its tremendous opportunities. We shall take part in the greatest strides toward better living ever taken. During the war many great discoveries have been made which have provided hundreds of new fields in which to seek success. 'lihose of lla who go to college will immediately meet one of the great changes caused by the war-the accelerated program of the colleges. Like many other methods, it was adopted as a war measure but it proved so successful that it will probably be retained after the war. lt is :i well known fact that education is the foundation of democracy, educa- tion such as we receive in the Public Schools of America. The fact remains that if dcmocr:icy is to be spread throughout the world. then the American system of education must precede it. So now we wish to express our sinqre appreciation to the townspeople, the school committee. the principals, and all the teachers of the Natick Public Schools for their patience and guidance during these most important years of our lives. And although wc derive great joy from the fact that we are entering a new phase of our lives, it is with sadness that we depart from our Alma Mater and the fruit- ful years we have spent here. CHARLES MURPHY.