Milford chronicle., 1942-07-03
A0 ME EDUCATION
"IHs Child's First School is the
Family"-FRoEBEL
Issued by the National Kindergarten
Association. West 40th Street.
New York City
DEFENSE MEASURES IN
THE H0ME-I1I
Florence Jane Ovens


Not only the little children but
our big boys and girls need the
guardianship of the home-always,
but especially as present-day de-
fense measure. The boy who has
just enlisted or has recently been
drafted needs to have that guard
ianship follow him. 1t is an act of
family devotion, as well as being
unquestionably beneficial, to knit
him sweater or to send him a box
of good things to eat. Don't over
look these attentions. But, If he is
at all thoughtful, he has problems
that such solicitude for his comfort
may help him to forget but will not
help him to solve. With regard to
these he may need your help very
much. What kind of letters do you
write him? Are they newsy and
CHEEKY. reassuring. and strengthen
ing and inspiring?
You know, you taught your chill
dren the Ten Commandments, in
Guiding "Thou shalt not kill" Then,
too, you taught them to be kind and
forgiving and to Judge not" Now,
they are being adjured to condemn,
to take revenge, to kill. What won
der If some have sustained a moral
shock and are, regarding their
ideals, cropping in the dark?
1t has been said that a nation can
not fight well until it hates. But
is this true? Should not the stimu-
lating purpose of the soldier be the
protection of his country-its peo-
pie and, above all, its ideals? And
how can one fight intelligently and
fearlessly for ideals if he is blinded
and poisoned by hate? 1t has long
been recognized by the medical
profession that hatred poisons the
system of the hater. What does one
gain by poisoning oneself? If the
inmates of an asylum get loose, one
does not hate the madmen. Yet to
safeguard the public, if those ma
MACS are armed and cannot be cap
tured, they must be shot.
The Thou shalt nots" of the Ten
Commandments all refer to selfish
or vicious purposes. They do not
forbid us to defend others. So you
can tell these young people that
their early Bible lessons still hold
good. They should not hate, should
not be revengful, but they should
fight-unselfishly-for the protec-
tion of all for which the United
States of America stands.
Remember Pearl Harbor? Yes, let
us remember Pearl Harbor. Re
member the Americans who at that
far distant outpost performed deeds
of valor that will forever add lus-
ter to the pages of our history. Re-
member and emulate their quick
response to the call to defend the
Stars and Stripes. Whenever and
wherever we hear pearl Harbor,"
may our fiag-for which those men
unhesitatingly sacrificed all, the
symbol of our homes and our Bill
of Rights-ever blazon forth with
inspiration for us, too, whether the
need be physical defense or spir-
itual loyalty.
They know, these boys of ours,
how the knights of old swore to
keep themselves pure, and why
that which they were to defend
was holy. So, just as truly, the
principles underlying the term De-
mocracy, which their country is
fostering and their flag is protect
ing, are holy. These, as knights,
they go out to defend. 1t is a high
calling, a glorious purpose and re-
quires purity and courage.
Give this thought to the boys in
the service and to the boys and
girls at home. You know your own
child. Give him only as much at a
time as he will receive gladly. But
give 1t to him again and again. 1t
will be light that will shine out
for him, harmlessly, through the
ia rkest blackOut.