Samuel D Hanson School - Crescent Yearbook (Buxton, ME)

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DT ji M Democracy In America Democracy in America today is being greatly undermined and our freedom and liberty which only America gives is being abused. Should not some of our civil liberties be taken away during the present crisis? Freedom of speech is a great privilege which only a demo- cracy can give, but is not there such a think as nworking a free horse to death?n In this land of freedom, anyone can say anything he wants to against anyone, the governor, the president or the government. In what other country can anyone do this? Surely not in Germany or Italy. Today, a Nazi or Communist in this country can say what he wants to, but are not they they carrying it too far in stirring up riots and strikes in the de- fense projects? They certainly are, but how far can the free- dom of speech go before it encroaches on civil liberties? I recently heard the answer to this while listening to nThc People's Platformn. It said that anyone could say anything he wanted to unless it resulted in riot or mob violence. Into academic freedom is a good place for Nazi and Commu- nistic people to work spreading their propaganda. Today, this is too liberal, for this thing could easily be done, and has been done in other countries. It would be a terrible thing if this should happen, for the Nazi and Communist teachers would be very clever in the way they went about it, so as not to ex- cite suspicion yet fulfill their aims. If they could get a hold on the students, it would be disastrous for the young people in school today will be the future of our nation tomorrow. ' Another liberty we should all sacrifice during the present time is labor striking. No true American would really want to strike on defense work, for we are building up our country against possible attack and also building supplies to send to help our fellow democracies in Europe. Recently, all one hears on the radio is about the strikes in different plants, Ford plants, Bethlehem Steel and others. Some have lasted nearly ten weeks. The workers should even be glad to work more than a thirty or forty hour week until our defense program is completed. The peace time conscription is another civil liberty which we have accepted in order to defend our country against anything

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C fi .E 5 C E5 CJ!-X KD Editor-in chief Assistant Business Manager Assistants Literary Editors Alumni Editor Athletic Editors Joko Editors Exchange Editors Calendar Editor Cuts 1940 1941 Edna Moulton'4l Carolyn Woolcook'42 Ronald Sawyer'4l Wallace Gaotske'42 Morton Watorman'45 Ruth Groono'41 Wayne Moulton'42 Rao Elaine B9rtlett'45 Mary Haguc'43 Raymond Brockett'42 Anita Nason'4l Alberta Gerrish'42 Edward Elwe1l'45 John Roberts'44 William Manning'4l Dorothy Pcaso'43 Natalie Wiggin'45 Dorothy Ehrcnborg'42 Robert Sno11'45

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, THE CRESCENT 7 for Uthe best defense is a good offense.n Too much cannot be said about the undermining and abuse of our democracy for we have a great many nfifth columnistsn here in our country at work. I believe that some sort of check should be placed on our civil liberties during the present crisis, to protect our great Democracy -- America. Edna Moulton'4l War Consciousness The American public has become war-conscious! For over a year the national newspapers, weekly and monthy magazines and radio have so greatly emphasized,in the form of articles and speeches,our great American heritages, the curses of Fascism and Nazism and the horrors which follow in the wake of war that in truth Mr. and Mrs. Citizen are practically eating, living and sleeping war. Articles from American correspondents in Germany, from suffers in the European countries conquered by Hitler's vast nwaramachinen and tales from those who have seen the inside story of this immense undertaking, have brought us face to face with unquestionable terrors of the Nazi regime. Only last month Jan Valten's nOut of the Nightu was claimed to have caused more controversy and hate toward a country's principles than any other book written since Harriet B. Stowe's nUncle Tom's Cabin.n What are such books and articles doing to us, the reading public? Making us hate is the immediate answer, hate for the principles and ideals for which Nazism, Fascism Communism and other -isms stand! What is all this hate doing for us? Nothing, we are gaining absolutely nothing, indeed, it will inevitably make us become hard and cold toward our fellow mon and toward the world. Hate brings with it bitternes, cynicism, and revenge, once it has wrapped these tenaeles about us we are helpless. Can it be that we believe that this hate is being felt by Hitler and his allies or that it will in the least stall his cruel and unmerciful deeds? It is hurting us, our high ideals and lofty aims, far more than his. Instead of all this useless hating, why not turn our thoughts toward the principals of the great democracy in which We live? Certainly the thoughts of a country in which we all have equal rights, in which their is freedom, liberty and justice for all will wipe all hate from our hearts. Let us remember that instead of a dictator we have a president, whom we have privilege of choosing, that instead of some few direce tors we are able to make our own lawsg that instead of the judgment of one and only one we have the opportunity of a fair