Wilmington High School - Hourglass Yearbook (Wilmington, MA)

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THE UNITED STATES: A PRACTICAL SUCCESS Because others have demonstrated the superiority of the American ideal more ably than I could hope to, I will not go into the undeniable loftiness of our spiritual achievements. And because the Constitution very lucidly explains our civic rights and duties, I will not attempt to detail those privi- leges unigue in the world today and in the past. Rather I WOuld like to point out the tremendous advantage of physical comfort that our so-called inefficient democracy has gained us. To take a specific example in the matter of automobiles--without which no American feels himself complete-- we are incredibly richer than citizens of a totalitarian state. Especially since the recent war began, gasoline and cars are g used only by the highest officials. The idea of the average citizen's owning a car as he does in America would seem incred- ible to the average European, even in peace time. I read recent- ly of a group of Nazi tourists in this country who, having seen a factory surrounded by innumberable cars, were unable to believe that the cars belonged to the workers. They expressed the opinion that the cars had been put there solely to impress foreigners! In a like manner consider the matter of the radio--over which we alone can get uncensored news of airplanes of which we are the foremost manufacturers, and of all the products of American in- genuity and inventiveness. , Especially in the matter of food are we more fortunate than others. In the belligerent countries food is strictly rationed. Particularly in Germany the food problem is serious, not because crops are bad, but because in their mad desire for power the Germans change farm products by miracles of chemistry into arma- n

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I Llisv-1 v li 'J Class Artist to? V girl Most respected boy girl Glass Giggler boy girl Class Poet boy girl Best Athlete boy girl Best Actor Best Actress Glass Pals boys girls Class Mimio boy girl Class Songster boy girl Mgst Dependable boy girl Most Poise bgy girl Most Original bgy girl Largest Vocabulary boy girl lg: ---ll --.L.- Paul Mooers Hazel Bloomquist Clarence Peters Ann Buzzell Fred Murphy Malvina Roy Ellis Swain Margaret L ch yn Joe Gavanaugh Norinne Joyce Steve Pilcher Ann Buzzell Peters and Ayotte The Stooges Swain, Forson Margaret Lynch Harold Franz Margaret'Lynch Clarence Peters Rita Sullivan Clarence Peters Hazel Bloomquist J. Woods Ina Hinxman John Forson yAnn Buzzell

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U . They cannot reverse L41 wrucezs to get food again, how- :verg and armaments are net edible though they are probably but little worse than ersatz tread made of wood! Even were our standard of living vastly inferior to that of the totalitarian state, which it obviously is notg I would still prefer our form of government for under it we have as- surance of personal safety. No one is inviolate under a dic- tatorship. Pggroms massacre people who dare to have political views other than those expressed by the state, and for those who are not ercifully killed await the medieval tortures of the Modern concentration camp. In our country we are allowed not only the staff of life but even life itself. In the very short space of a century and a half we have developed from a tiny insignificant state to a world power. All of which was accomplished not through the abridgment of our rights, but through the exercising of them--through the individu- al efforts of the citizens--the logical way for progress. We cannot, however, expect all these benefits to be literally thrown into our laps. To enjoy them we must guard them for ourselves and for future generations. I could expand greatly on this topic, for I verge on the fanatical about itg but I must go on to the true purpose of the valedictorian speechu-a most depressing duty to say good-by. I feel that, for once, Shakespeare is wrong--- Parting is not such sweet sorrowiu I don't at all want to leave. I have enjoyed these last four years too much, It seems incredible that it is time to leave school, iguy ers he Lzewell addresses I have lis toned to in the secure kg-xiao of nary years cf school interven inj between me and gradaatitf. lut those nears are gone and now