Portsmouth High School - Trojan Yearbook (Portsmouth, OH)

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I SP AK F011 DEMHUIIA UY Long before Iesus of N az areth was born, the Greeks stressed the idea of the dignity and the worth of the individual, and of his right to govern himself. The Hebrew-Christian teachings strengthened the idea of the individua1's dignity and self-respect by emphasizing that all men are brothers in the eyes of God. These are the first great teachings of democracy -that all men are equal and brothers and that they have the right to govern them- selves. t One of the first maior steps toward the democracy we have today, came in Eng- land with the signing of the Magna Char- ta in 1215. Gradually, after this. Parlia- ment and the courts began to gain power, and the rights of the individual began to increase. But even in the following years, true democracy was not reached in Eng- land or in any of the Old World countries. It was not until the Pilgrim Fathers landed at Plymouth Rock, that the hopes of a true democracy began to take shape. But, even then, the new world settlers contin- ued some of the practices from which they had hoped to escape. The time was not yet right to pluck the fruits of democ- racy from the Tree of Life . But the time was right in 1776. when the people of the colonies rose up in rebellion against the suppression of their rights. Then, for the first time in history, they set up a genuine democracy-not a perfect one-still- a democracy. One which could be per- fected. As Henry Van Dyke says in The Heri- tage of American Ideals : . There are those who tell us that the builders of the Republic were too short-sighted to behold this vision. We are asked to believe that their eyes were not opened in regard to the greatness of America as a nation. We are asked to believe that they did not dream of the future greatness of the coun- try which they founded, otherwise they 7 by DAVID ROTH would have founded it differently. I do not believe it. The road ahead, even in America, was a long and hard one-an uphill climb all the way. We owe a great debt to those m e n -.Washington, Franklin, Iefferson, Iackson-who helped set us on the right road to democracy. But progress was slow. Even 1861, true democracy had not been won inthe United States. It has been fourscore and seven years since the Great Emancipator, Abraham Lincoln, fell before an assasin's bullet. He, like many before him and many after him, gave his all-his life-for his country. But he also gave his life for democracy. It was he who put one of the great finishing touches to democracy in America. He made equal- ity, under law, a reality. To describe democracy, one must be a part of democracy. One must work for de- mocracy. One must speak for democracy. fFor democracy is not a static idea which you or I or anyone can say has been achieved. It is a growing idea in which one strives toward that ideal which is true democracy.l Democracy means many things to many people. Some have de- scribed democracy as having a free feel- ing when, with hand. o,ver heart and lump in throat, they watch the flag go by. Oth- ers have described it as feeling at peace, without any worry, when they kneel be- fore the 'alter of God. Still others have de- scribed it as feeling safe and secure when they are at home with their families. To- day, when so many people take democ- racy for granted, it isn't how one describes it, but rather the fact that one is able to describe it. 'Today the world looks to America for leadership. We can never be responsible for this leadership unless each realizes his responsibility, and speaks- to the whole world-for democracy. Re- member, LIBERTY a n d DEMOCRACY ARE INSEPARABLE. SPEAK FOR DEMOC- RACY!