St Joseph Commercial High School - Parmentier Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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i-.fzs.......-,....,-fz.z.4.1... ff They are endowed with certain inalienable rights, life, liberty and the pur- suit of happiness. Democracy includes liberty. Our liberties are freedom of speech, freedom of worship and freedom of assembly. Today we face a threat to democracy. Are we as Americans, going to sit back while every vestige of freedom is stolen from us? Are we going to allow the government that was established of the people, for the people and by the people .to perish from the earth? Let us recognize this truth so that it may be allocated -to win our support. Democracy is at the crossroadf' ln Europe it has swerved to the left of the .totalitarian state represented by Communism and Fascism. There is little differ- ence between the two. Both have taken away individual freedom of thought, word and action: both regard the state as supreme and both feel that the people exist only for the good of the state. ln Europe too, the will of the majority has talcen liberty from the will of the minority. But in the United States, liberty has a more secure source, a source that includes the minority as well as the majority: a source that finds its stability in the unchangeable will of God. Throughout our high school careers our studies have not led us to despair of democracy, but rather to question the solidity of modern dictatorship. Democ- racy thrives on peace: dictatorships thrive on war. Democracies are recognized by liberty and equality, dictatorships are recognized by stern discipline and absolute intolerance. Therefore the crisis of democracy today is the crisis of world peace. Education is indispensable to a democratic government. We, consequently, wish to express our gratitudeg for throughout the past four years, having been thor- oughly equipped with a knowledge of our government, and the business of its various departments, there can be no doubt that in the future, we will become good citizens and be able to defend our government. The seed of education has been planted and through our effort, it is expected to yield a good harvest. My dear fellow graduates, may I presume to predict our futures in this world of turmoil? As l gaze upon the road that leads ultimately to the goal we are seeking, let me depict it as smooth and rough with many turnings that may lead us astray. But, in our travels let us not forget the teachings of our Alma Mater who taught us to reach out to the shining light of the future that lies just beyond. and by so doing remain close to the Heart of our Divine Creator. Thus our greatest future reward and career will be eternal happiness with Him forever. in conclusion, may I say, Let us live by truth and not by lies so that we may not prop the tottering house of wrong that is recognized by legalized cruelty and force: but rather, that we may bind our commonwealth in the love of its citizens. Democracy is a child of peace, and cannot live apart from its mother. i-KATHLEEN M. COGHLAN '41

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His lfxr'c'Hvr1c'y llll XIUNI IQIXIRKNII IIIUNIAS ll. NIULLUX Bishop of Hroofelyn

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True MUST Rxsvz-im-Lxn Rmmomn fXLfGL's'1'1NH Kmnmmy D.D Tilufur Bishop of Lysiniu Auxifiury Bishop of Brooklyn