Springfield High School - Capitoline Yearbook (Springfield, IL)

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Members of the Graduating Class, welcome to trouble. And uncertainty. And danger. Our nation is pros- perous and powerful, it's true. But it is also a beleaguered fortress in a hostile world. We have far more ene- mies than friends on this troubled planet. Even the envious neutrals do not wish us well. Wherever you look, without or within, our problems are gigantic. The generation just ahead of you has fought three wars against external aggressiong it has struggled with staggering internal problems of economics and social justice. We have done the best we could, and not too badly, perhaps, but in the process we have ne- glected some things. What is your generation going to do about the steady rise of crime and delinquency? About the prevalence of payola and classroom cheating? About the sadism on television and the pornography in books and the pre- occupation with perversion in our theatres? Make no mistake about it, these are the classic and historic signs of decadence, ot decay. And what is the answer? The answer is people. Not just any people. A special kind of people. We need people who are honest, honest with a fierce intolerance that considers a lie contemptible and a broken promise a black disgrace. ' We need people who are intelligenlirpeople who can gauge probabilities, make judgments, take action. Al- ready nations are seeking frantically to acquire the best brains of other nations. Intelligence, not yellow metal, is the gold standard of the future. We need people who are bold, who are stimulated, not paralyzed, by danger, who can take the calculated risk and lose, if necessary, lose everything but the willingness to take the risk again. We need people who are patient, but who can become dangerous if pushed too far. There is a point where tolerance ends and spinelessness begins. History speaks plainly about this: No nation ever won freedom without fighting for it, or kept it without being willing to fight. We need people with a passion for work, not just for fame or money or security, but because of the satis- factions that come from achieving the difficult, or even attempting the impossible. We need people who are patriotic, not with the blind conceit that can see no good in other nations, but with an awareness that love of country is essential to all people, because in pride there is confidence, and in con- fidence, achievement. We need cheerful, warm people, people who love life, and know that it brings change, and welcome this. We need people with the imagination and humor and curiosity and love of the beautiful that transcends national boundaries and make them citizens of the world. And where do such people come from? They come out of the heart and soul of any nation that remains ca- pable of judging itself, of shrugging off its lunatic fringes, of demanding sacrifices when necessary, of insist- ing that its citizens keep trying to be better people than they are. Such people come from homes where unselfishness is the cardinal rule of living, from schools where the basic discipline is self-disciplineg from colleges whose concept of education involves not just the acquisition of knowledge, but a kind of endless pilgrimage toward the distant and difficult goals of justice and honor and service to mankind. Since this country was founded, every generation has had its quota of such people. That is why our star has kept rising. Your generation will produce them, too, but there must be more than ever before, because the tides of history run faster and the need is greater than ever before. Members of the Graduating Class, freedom is not just a privilegeg it is a test, and those who cannot pass the test will be denied it. Welcome, then, to the proving grounds. Bring with you all the courage and the vitality and determination you can muster. You are going to need them, just as your country is going to need you. Reprinted from A Touch of Wonder, by Arthur Gordon Copyright 1974 by Fleming H. Revell Company.