Evening star., 1936-01-22
Keynote OF
Equality or
EqualRights.
Basic Code Principles
/ Should Be Consid-
! cred by All.
ny ANGELO PATRI.

=
EAMnY quarrels blight family LIE.
- Nothing distresses a mother as
much as the quarrels among the
brothers and sisters who should love
and cherish one another. Her head
aches and her brain swirns in the
loud clamor Of "You have no
right" II have So" you
did," II did not" "Ill show
you," "Ma-ma-he's picking on me
again"
Children are born free and equal
the Constitution says SO and they be-
iieve it. They have rights, and they
proceed to exercise those rights by
force. There Is q fight, one OF many,
and mother has to come and pull the
belligerents apart. What Is the trouble?
It is true that we are born free
and equal, spiritually. All men are
equal before God. But before their
fellow men, in this material world,
where weight and reach and lung
power are SO much more accessible
than the powers of the spirit, might
does its best to be right. Children
have to be taught this grain OF truth
It takes q lifetime of experience 10
make it function, so the earlier the
teaching begins the sooner it Will
affect the behavior of the children
and their parents and neighbors.
What rights has a child? He has
the unquestfonable right to be him.
self as long as he does not interfere
with others rights to the same kind
of being. Big brother weighs 81 pounds
and little brother weighs AZ. They
are not equal In weight and power
then. Big brother hates to go upstairs
for his things so he tries to make little
brother run the errand for him. he
tries that because he is heavier.
stronper and feels powerful enough
to make the little fellow serve his
ends.
But the little fellow. being equal in
spirit equal in the sight OF God, feels
he Is being imposed upon and says
sNo! And you can't make me-"
This last Is his defiance backed
bv the knowledge that mother is IN
the next room and won't allow big
brother to touch him. The usual noise
and scuffle bring mother and a truce.
In my experience the best way to
bet things right is to accept at the
start the fixed differences in the
children. One is physically outstand-
ing. one is weak. One is minded,
another is dull. One moves swiftly, the
other moves slowly. One clutches, ana
another lets go even what he has. One
likes his spinach. and the other turns
green at the sight Of it. One is afraid
of the dark, and the other laughs at
him. Accept these differences, these
gtrenRths and weaknesses and teach
the children to do the same. Set
about teaching them to strengthen
their weaknesses and develop their
high points. Make them see that 1t
always is the duty Of the strong to
help the weak.
But, this ought to be done so that
each child feels that he Is allowed to
be himself, at his best, always. He
Is not asked to be like his brother or
sister. He is asked only to do his best
under all conditions. He is to know
that he will be protected in his effort
and praised when he does well.
Most of the quarrels rise out OF
disregard for the fundamental right
of q child to be different. Differences
are often manufactured into sins when
they should be developed into creative
power. The only equality that stands
is the spiritual one, which Is basic to
oil human growth.
(Copyright 1860