The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1909-03-04
EDUCATIONAL,
By w. E. LARSON.
BAR ABBAS.

|
so by various methods Finally he
thought of a good plap. 1t was Gus
tom that a prisoner be set free at the
passover and, confident that the people
would choose an innocent person rather
than one convicted, he asked them to
select Barabbas or Jesus. Contrary to
his expectation they chose Barabbas
who was thus set free, while Jesus was
crucified
Who was Barabbas? Barabbas was a
robber
Sometimes we speak of a man by q
nickname. Because of some popularity
a man may be known by an entirely
| different name from the one which was
originally given him. Whether this was
true about Barabbas know not but the
| name is so appropriate to the character
of the man that can not but feel that
it was an outgrowth Of his early life ra
ther than an arbitrary label put on him
while he was an infant.
What does the name Barabbas signi.
fy?' you ask
Barabbas is compound word made
up of the parts bar and dbJdS. Bm
| signifies son and dJJuS father. Barabbas
therefore means Fathers son, Carrying
this ont in the phraseology of today it
would be papas child, papa's pet, nam
mas darling, or some name of that kind.
We have Barabbases in our times
Some in Waupun, some in Saltwater,
some in Sing Sing, some in Joliet Years
| ago these modern Barabbases were
fondled by parents who unwisely al
| lowed them absolute freedom These
children We're petted. Their wishes
were gratified. Teachers who tried to
correct their faulty habits were severely
censured by the parents in the presence
of their children. Whoever dared 10
cross the wishes Of these darlings be.
came the subjects of unfavorable COM
ments at the dinner table. Mammals
and papa darling ii, e, Barabbas) must
have his own way. If teacher does that
again Barabbas must tell papa and then
papa will see to it that Barabbas gets his
rights.
In this way Barabbas goes through
the kindergarten and lower grades of
human conduct He is graduated from
| childhood into the higher school of
youth. Being perfect IN the eyes of his
parents he is always upheld in his nc.
tions. When he does not not feel like
working, he is allowed to loaf. Being
of an imaginative turn of mind he in.
vents stories which more and more de
viate from the truth, but his parents be-
lieve them. Whenever there il con
! ilCt in the stories of Barabbas and the
narrative of the teacher Cor some one
| else it is Barabbas who ls given the
credit for telling the truth Papa is in.
dgnant because his boy is not treated
fairly. The school authorities certainly
must take hand in this matter 80 that
Barabbas may get his rights
! Then Barabbas is graduated from
school. He goes ont into the world He
has been used to have his way in every
thing and he wants everybody to do him
homage. The little boy has become
big boy,-he never can become man.
Big Boy Barabbas has a hard time of it.
Things don't go in the world AS they went
IN the schoolroom. Not being able to do
his work in the world he joins other Bar
abbases and they make a war upon the
world in general. Civilization and or
der are to them burden. For short
space our Barabbas continues his career
of anarchy until society is compelled to
take him in hand in order to protect it
self. Barabbas lands in prison
Parent, are you naming Yo,r child
Barabbas2 Are you taking his part
when he comes to you with complaints,
and do you threaten to do something
terrible to that certain person who il
trying to make a man ont Of your boy2
Are you listening to the gossip which
your child brings home and in this way
encouraging that child in fault finding
and lying 1t makes 10 difference
whether you are millionaire or a poor
man Barabbases can be grown in every
class Of society.
Another observation to he made from
the story of Barabbas is this; The world
is too easy with Barabbas Give us
Barabbas free" it shouts. Something
is wrong. True, the parents of Bar
abbas should be severely chastised, for
they are largely responsible for his per
verted ways, his selfish disposition, and
bis distorted view of life. But it is
wrong to society to loosen him until he
is in some way able to use his liberty.
We believe in prison reform but we
should not clamor for the license and
perpetuation Of crime II u Barabbas
has committed II transgresson against
law and order let Us not clamor for his
liberation at a time when the world may
seem specially anxious TO cruelty righte
BUSINESS Let us not develop this class
of children Every child brought up
Barabbas means the cruciiixon Of some
noble character
An Agricultural Meeting will be held
at the Court House March 10 and 20