Binghamton Central High School - Panorama Yearbook (Binghamton, NY)

Page 6 text:

To those members of our faculty and student body who are serving their country in the armed forces this volume is respectfully dedicated.

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Our Arsenal of Democracy The United States, after only twenty-three years of peace, entered World War II on December eighth, 1941. It was with an overwhelming desire and conviction to insure democracy and democratic principles for the American people, that Congress declared war n that fateful Monday. Since World War II affects the lives of every one of us, since democracy is the one most important word in the hearts and minds of free peoples everywhere, the Panorama Annual Board has chosen the very signif- icant theme, 'Our Arsenal of Democracy.' Arsenal in one sense of the word means storehouse - an actual building. How- ever, it has come to have a new meaning in the past few months. The President, in a radio address to the nation, described our country as an arsenal-considering every individual as an essential factor in it. We are interpreting the word sim- ilarly, and consequently, are concerned with personalities in our great fortress of freedom, not with material things alone. In this modern world, youth is playing an ever-increasingly important role. The responsibility for the survival of our 'four freedoms' may rest directly on the shoulders of young Americans. Every citizen of America is sharing the burden of war, but it is undeniable that our brave boys are making the greatest sacrifice. It has been said that the young are always the hope of the nation. In America the young are more than thatg they are the stronghold of democracy. Thus, it is these youthful citizens, perhaps just completing high school, whom we are especially considering when we speak of our arsenal of democracy. We can not deny that democracy is being threatened. The aggressive nations have long opposed freedom of every sort, and have condemned us because we have stood for all that they have opposed. It is necessary, therefore, in this great world war to be more 'democracy-conscious', to understand fully why democracy is the only way of life with which Americans can be happy, and most important of all, to know how we can make and keep this country strong and united. Democracy must be preserved for future generations and for all posterity. The freedom and happi- ness of millions of people depend upon the strength of the arsenal in the course of the next few years. The challenge to youth to make it strong is a very positive one. We, of the Panorama Board, have attempted to portray throughout the Annual what we mean by our theme. The frontispiece, the division pages between the var- ious sections of the book, the dedication, and even the pages of class notables all represent our efforts to interpret it for you, the reader. In some places there are contrasts between Americanism and Totalitarianism, while on other pages we have tried to compare the goals of the American student and the American soldier. Now, with a sincere hope that democracy and peace may reign, we offer you our work, The Panorama Annual of 1942!