Brockton High School - Brocktonia Yearbook (Brockton, MA)

Page 27 text:

CLASS PGEM l l l The Spirit of '42 By Iosephine Williams Where for us does our future lie? This today is the universal cry of youth. A dreary question, ending with a sigh, Whose answer is shrouded by grim shadows, Hovering like vultures in a blood-red sky. Is there no light? Is there no shining truth by which we can Be guided onward? No longer any right? Or wrong? Must we travel blind, ln a world o'er-shadowed by this blight? Youth stands still for a moment in wonder. But not for long. There is one shining truth. And must we ponder Over what it is? Is it not plain? Are we our lives about to squander? No! And no again, I say. Our forbears fought and died To give us life, this life we live today. This daily happiness that we enjoy while Winding along a path both sad and gay. Behold the lad who climbs to reach his goal. Behold the lass with earnest eyes-eyes not disillusioned By a government without a soul. This lad, you say, but can he reach that end Toward which he strives? On some high knoll This lad-alone or with the sweet-eyed lass perchance- Will look back on this horror, sad-eyed but with faith in things to come Liberty-the right to sing and dance, The right to love, and laugh, and worship God- Liberty, who cannot, must not die, but reign free-lance. 23

Page 26 text:

CONTINUATION OF GRADUATION ADDRESS by loving some one person of the world? By the same logic, we must be devoted citizens of our own country before we can hope to attempt to under- stand and contribute effectually to the welfare of the world. Our own land needs much improvement: through loyalty, and interest in its welfare, we can begin the foundation for a better world. There are some interpretations of America First which are important to every American. Every one of us can make America First by his belief in the doctrines upon which our government has been established. The rule of the people, by the people, and for the people, which our forefathers sought to establish, and which we extol so highly today, must become the actual achievement in every aspect of our social life. The Way to make the world safe for democracy is to make democracy safe for the world. Our democracy will be safe only if it is safe for the growing interests and needs of all Amer- icans. Whenever or wherever our democracy fails to serve the needs of its people, they will turn to other political systems to secure the rights which a good government must provide. During the present war, the people of the United States are vehemently denounc- ing the ill treatment accorded minority groups in other lands because of their religion, politics, or race. On the other hand, has America effectually abolished such discriminations within our own borders? We proclaim goodwill toward every man and equal rights to each individual. To what extent do we practice these principles? We still are intentionally setting up barriers against certain people merely because of a difference in color. Think of how we treat the negroes today! Can we expect these and other exploited people to admire an American way of life and to die -for a life which We deny them the opportunity to live? ls such discriminating democracy safe for America? For many years the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor held high the torch of welcome to peoples from every foreign shore to find a new life within the United States. ls it not our obligation, both from the standpoint of virtue and necessity, to see that the light of liberty and life becomes the increased privilege of every race in our country? America First must be applied to an America foremost in tolerance. Nothing, states Everett Dean Martin, a modern philosophical critic, destroys liberty so surely and so quickly as intolerance. The illustrious Socrates, whom we honor highly today, was forced to sip the fatal hemlock. He was far ahead of his contemporaries, who might have gained much from his wisdom, had they not been so unwilling to heed his advice. Today We honor Roger Williams for establishing in Providence one of the most important principles underlying our American form of government-the separation of the church and the state, which implies religious freedom. Early Americans, however, displayed little tolerance toward Roger Williams when they banished him and his ideals from Massachusetts. Our nation has been founded on tolerance-freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, and freedom of petition against grievances. Any person has the right to express his opinion whether it seem right or wrong in the eyes of others. Our duty to ourselves is to prove all things and to hold to those which are true. Let us show the world an America First in tolerance! America First should challenge us to make our vaunted democracy more effective in the economic field. The age-long prayer of the common man to Continued on page 80 22

Page 28 text:

A.. 7 , Mildred Berqstedt l942 CLASS ODE X,,f0,..d5-M0,f,1y,., Lays. Music- M:lcl-rec! Ben?5l' 4 J i'4J J 4 ,n A JJ ml HBV MHTETIE Ii Fr? V ' VVV JJQF J-H114-I J J J. f-g:1.m'rr'rr ri VT - JJEJJE lik-Lgigrir HUF' Q