Ipswich High School - Tiger Yearbook (Ipswich, MA)

Page 25 text:

i t then follows the school, the Hitler Youth, and military training. We don ' t let him go, and when adolescence is past, the Arbeitsfront (or work program) takes him again and does not let him go till he dies, whether he likes it or not. In Russia a child of grammar school age learns pa- triotic poems and slogans. Military training begins in the eighth grade. Then come the Young Pioneers or the Young Communist League. The minds of the children ore saturated with propaganda about the great Soviet Union and the capitalist war-mongers. A seven-year old Russian girl, when asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, replied, A Red Army nurse and help fight the fascists who surround our country . The main difference between Fascism and Communism is that although the Fascists use force and militarism, they are direct about it; the Communists, however, prefer the spy system. They are unscrupulous and unpredictable. What can we do to protect ourselves and our country from this menace? We must put as much effort into improving and building up Democracy as the Communists put into tearing it down. Most of us believe that our way of life is the best on earth. We do not live in eternal fear of being spied on, arrested, or killed. Our police forces are for the protec- tion, not the persecution, of citizens. We ore not continuolly bombarded with propaganda, because, here in America the newspapers, the radio and television stations, and the movie studios ore not owned and operated by the government, but by private citizens. We can listen to or read anything we like, and from that, form our own opinions. Our educational system is set up, not for the purpose of teaching children to think in military terms, but to teach them fundamental facts and their application. We believe that the most important thing is to teach children how to think, not what to think. Recently there have been investigatians of high school and college teachers and their alleged affiliations with the Communist Party. Our Bill of Rights gives everyone the right of freedom of speech; and educators are jealous of their academic freedom — the freedom to seek the truth. But does that mean the right to teach Communist doctrine which aims to overthrow our democratic institu- tions and enslave us all? Should we expel all teachers with Communist tendencies and those who take refuge in the Fifth Amendment, or should we allow them to continue teaching and jeopardize the future of the nation and the citizens of tomorrow? Or is there a middle road? The people must decide and, in deciding, guard against violating any of our fundamental rights as guaranteed by our Constitution. Certainly, these rights, which were gained through the sacrifice of many Americans and are now being preserved by the sacrifice of many more, are not to be treated lightly. Voting is both the duty and the privilege of every citizen. If we sit back and say, My vote doesn ' t count , we are leaving public offices open to men who are inter- ested, not in serving the people they represent, but in personal gain. We must each do our part in making Democracy work. For Democracy must begin with the individual and work up through the community, the state, to the national government. If the public becomes ap- athetic and the federal government is required to do the work of the state or the town, we will no longer have a democracy, but a bureaucracy. Therefore voting and encouraging friends and neighbors to do likewise is one step toward safeguarding our way of life. Cooperation is also a vital factor. If individuals can ' t learn to cooperate, how can we expect whole nations to work together? If we ore asked to work on a community project, we should do it willingly and well. Trial by jury, one of our greatest democratic institu- tions, will be in danger if people continue to beg off jury duty. Thus, taking an active part in the government of our own community is also very important. We should keep informed about current events and conditions by reading facts, and not by listening to those who spread propaganda and those who continuously com- plain about matters and never offer any constructive suggestions. Above all, we should be always alert and ready to defend and protect our country and the rights that are ours. In the words of Thomas Paine: — These are the times that try men ' s souls . . . Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this con- solation with us, that the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheaply we esteem too. lightly; it is dearness only that gives every- thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated. CLASS DAY SPEAKERS PROPHECY Edward Sklarz Grace Matheson GIFTS TO BOYS Patricia Cogswell Virginia Player HISTORY Eleanor BJair WILL Edith Hall GIFTS TO GIRLS David Williams Robert Dort

Page 24 text:

JEAN WEAGLE A good heart is worth gold. Jeon, on attractive blond, is a quiet, rather shy girl whom we all know to be very sweet and likeable. Jean ' s interest in children will some day make her a very effi- cient baby nurse. We are glad to have had you as a member of our class, Jean, and we hope you enjoyed being one. Senior Committee 4; Librarian 4; Cafeteria 3. DAVID WILLIAMS Not that you won or lost, but how you played the game. Dave, one of our most active classmates, has found time not only to participate successfully in athletics, but to work, to serve on many committees, and to spend considerable time with Mary as well. Dave ' s ability to make friends and his athletic tajent should aid him greatly in his years at Springfield College and throughout his career as a Physical Education teacher. Baseball 1, 2, 3, 4; Letter 1, 2, 3, 4; Football 1 , 2, 3, 4; Letter 2, 3, 4; Basketball 1, 2, 3, 4; Letter 3, 4; Tiger Staff; Operetta 1, 2; Glee Club 1, 2, 3, 4; Band 1, 2, 3, 4; Picture Committee; Orchestra 2, 3; Junior Prom Committee; Class Day Part; Steering Committee. GRADIIATIOM ESSAYS LIBERTY-THE PRICE OE VIGILANCE By ELIZABETH NELSON Only a few years ago, the general attitude toward Communism was, It can ' t happen here. Now when we pick up a newspaper or a magazine, we read of Com- munist spies stealing top secret government information. Communists in our educational systems, and Communist investigations by the government committees, and we realize that it can happen here. It has happened and it will continue to do so unless the public does something about it. We must realize that Communism, as we know it today, is far from the ideal Communist state described by Karl Marx in his Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital . The Soviet leaders use Marx ' s ideas to win converts, but, actually, their methods are no different from Hitler ' s or Mussolini ' s. For instance, propaganda, appealing to people ' s emo- tions, but not their reasoning, is a powerful weapon. The Communists, like the Fascists, use every medium available to direct public thinking along the Party Line. Then there are the parades, the glittering spectacles with shouting, flag-waving, and saluting. A new idea of Stalin ' s? No, it is a method used by Julius Caesar to give the public a sense of belonging to the great state machine. It is a method used by Hitler, Mussolini, and Tojo to great advantage. The police system of Russia is the same as that of Nazi Germany. Call it the Gestapo or the NKVD; the name makes no difference. The methods are identical — the feeling that you are constantly being watched, the arrests in the dead of night, the forced confessions to crimes you didn ' t commit and about which you know nothing, and then, either the slave labor camps or death in public. Finally, the Communists, like Hitler and Mussolini, realize the importance of controlling youth. Robert Ley, the labor boss of Hitler ' s regime, said, We begin with the child when he is three years old. As soon as he begins to think, he gets a little flag put in his hands; [ 22 ]

Page 26 text:

JUVENILE DELINQUENCY-A GLARING SOCIAL PROBLEM by BRUCE QUINT One of the most glaring domestic problems of our time is that of juvenile delinquency. Yet os conspicuous os this grove issue is, careful investigation will prove that very little has been done to counteract and correct it. It seems very strange indeed that a country so advanced and civilized as ours would let such evil con- ditions exist. Now that this problem, which is found in most large cities, is so out of hand we must try to solve it. In the first place, a juvenile delinquent, as the name implies, is a youthful offender or criminal. Many reasons have been advanced as the outstanding cause of juvenile delinquency. Actually, delinquency varies with different cases, and hence it is impossible to establish a set cause for it, but rather we can attribute its prevalence through- out the country on such a large scale to several under- lying causes and laxities on the part of parents and cities. Just as in any contagious disease, this vicious evil has reached the stage where something drastic must be done, or this country will face a period detrimental to social progress. Before we make any resolutions or decisions of an analytical nature, the problem must first be dissected to learn its chief causes. The most numerous causes of juvenile delinquency, perhaps, can be found in the home. Any child who comes from a broken home or from one where habitual arguments ar drunkeness prevails is quite likely to become a delinquent. All of these conditions lead to the same result. Because the child can ' t stand his life at home, he turns to the streets for seclusion. His home now becomes just a place to eat and sleep. The chief result is that his character is farmed on the street instead of in the home. Because the child has no sense of security, he turns to youthful gangs or slippery characters for protection. By this time he is well on his way to becom- ing a delinquent. Still another cause for delinquency is the lack of op- portunities for students of nonacademic backgrounds and inclinations in our school systems. If the student reaches the paint where he feels his school offers him exactly nothing, he will undoubtedly leave. Anything seems more alluring to him than the dull monotony of a school course from which he reaps no benefit. At this time he decides to terminate his school days and becomes a truant, thus starting his life as a delinquent. Regardless of how you feel on this controversial issue, it is safe to say that some comic books, radio programs, and television shows corrupt the minds and thoughts of younger children. They are so influenced by many of these factors that they actually apply some of these criminal actions. Whether you believe it or not, many children idolize characters such as Willie, The Actor , Sutton. Many of these cheap radio thrillers so terrorize younger children that they are unable to sleep nights. All of these factors occupy children ' s minds with crime and in some cases, are damaging to their health. From the slums of the cities comes a very serious prob- lem in juvenile delinquency — namely tha.t of gangs. The members of these gangs who usually come from poor, inconspicuous parents feel that they have nothing to lose by turning to crime. To some the lust for easy money and the dream of becoming a crime czar are too tempt- ing for them to endure. Still others band together in gangs for protection, trying to eliminate their feeling of insecurity. They depend upon crime as a livelihood and disgrace the larger cities of the United States with their savageness and brutality. No matter what their reason for banding together, all lead to the same inevitable road — a life of crime. These are some of the causes of juvenile delinquency — the most flagrant ones in any case. They all create problems which involve law enforcement. It is helpful to understand the evils brought about by delinquency before the problem is further discussed. Once a person becomes a delinquent he is associated with crime and criminals. Crimes such as gang warfare, drug addiction, drunkeness, robbery, beatings, and even murder flourish among delinquents. All of these actually fit into a chronological pattern. Gang warfare is prev- alent among various delinquent bands, for in the under- world only the toughest survive. Any delinquent who is a member of a powerful gang usually has a false sense of superiority and attempts to exhibit it by drinking and taking dope. In his twisted mind he believes that people actually idolize and respect his actions. When this stage is reached, he has become morally callous, and in order to obtain money for his expensive type of living, he turns to any type of crime as a livelihood. Thus it is easy to see all of the evils o delinquent can bring about and how they disgrace the reputation of a city. At this point it may be well to consider what some progressive cities have done to counteract this evil. There are also excellent methods which have been devised for the future. Perhaps the most effective way of reducing delin- quency is to make sure that these crimes are not com- mitted again by these youthful offenders. The best way to do this is through the juvenile courts in our country. This type of court gives the delinquent a fairer chance and a better attitude toward the law. Before the days of juvenile courts the young criminals in our country were sentenced to jail terms with hardened, vicious pris- oners. When the delinquents were freed after serving their prison sentences, they were worse than ever. But now the juvenile court has corrected this. This type of court is run by a judge who talks privately with the boy, his parents, and his friends to obtain all possible informa- tion before reaching a just decision. By having a clearer and more sympathetic look at the problem, the judge is in a better position to render a helpful verdict for the youth which will give him a second chance. Many cities are striving to combat juvenile delinquency through modern methods. New York City contains the largest slum area in the world. This progressive city, however, has done much to eliminate the existing eye- sores. Furthermore through the Crime Prevention Bureau of New York City the law enforcement agencies are trying to establish friendly relationships with the children while keeping in close contact with the home. One of the greatest curbs to juvenile delinquency in New York is P. A. L. or the Police Athletic League. Working in conjunction with the police department, P. A. L. offers all types of recreational opportunities for the children supervised by experienced instructors. These are the big reasons why New York leads in reducing juvenile delinquency. Another city bent on destroying juvenile delinquency is Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland is reputed to have one of the finest court systems for handling juvenile delinquents in our country. There too, tremendous public play- grounds are provided and tournaments are sponsored in which the children participate as a part of their recrea- tional program. If juvenile delinquency is to be elim- |24J