The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-07-09
FIGHTING MAD!

y
II guy. Pm not trying to pose as an expert on the
moulding of public opinion. I'm not talking big
about what I'd do if it my job to whip up
the country on the effort.
I'm talking as an average citizen. Pm saying,
not what I'd like to tell them, but what I'd like to
be told. Soon
Because Pm concerned and I've been concerned,
about my reaction to all that's been happening.
Sure Pm buying bonds. Pm doing with less sugar.
But deep down inside, down where 1t really
matters, something hasn't taken place yet that |
feel ought to take place. I'm all Welter OF con-
fusion. 1t keeps me scratching my head and mop
ping my brow when know ought to be clenching
my fists.
You understand? It's like this:
want to be told not to buy Defense Stamps
or Defense Bonds. | want to be told to buy Victory
Stamps or War Bonds.
| want to be told-not about the construction
of houses in Defense Areas want to be told about
the construction of houses in War Production
Areas.
| want to be told-not to remember Pearl llaf-
Dor ! want to be told to take Toxic, to bomb
Berlin to raze Rome.
| want to be told-not to do my part to keep
Naziism or Fascism from these shores. want to
be told to do my part to spread Amerlcanlsm to
all shores.
| want positive program instead Of passive
one want something TO fight for I'm sick and
tired of having only something to fight against
Pm hungry for something to get pepped-up about
I'm repelIed from having only something to
fear. | want something to do-not Just to wait Tor
1t hasn't been so long since the last war that
forget what happened then. | remember the
parades and the speeches and the ringing slogans
Then we fought to make the world safe for
democracy. We bought Liberty Bonds We sang
that the YankS coming.
We set out to avenge Belgiun-not Just to
remember it. We made that we'd reach
Berlin or bust We toyed with plans to hang the
Kaiser. We warned the Hun to keep your head
down, Fritzie-boyn' We girded ourselves for d
Crusade-we didn't close the doors for siege.
We hated the kaser-we didn't laugh at him
We printed his loathSomc phySognomy on toilet
paper-to make the most lgnOminouS use of 1t
We likened his upturned handebarS to the devils
hons-not to anything so harmless and pathetic
as the famous hrsute prop Charlie Chaplin plas-
ters on his upper lip. We say nothing to be amused
about in his vain pompouS poSturingS-as we dc
today in Mussolini's puffy Struttng We didn't
pin our hopes on the defective eyesight Of oul
enemy.
We planted war gardens. We poured our money
into war chests. We had gasless Sundays ano
yelled Stacker" at anyone who dared TO ventul,
out in his WntOn or Hupmobilc or StearnS
Knight. We chuned one pound of butter into two
pounds and did it with much Will as if we were
turning out ammunition.
We took the offensive pSychologcally long be
fore took it physically And if we hadn't takel
it psychoogically, WeG never have developed the
drive to take it physically. And don't tell me We
can't do the same now
! want to sing that today we control our owl
destiny tomorrow the destiny of the whole world
] want to sail against Germany, against Italy
against Japan. II they can sail against us and oul
allies, why can't we sail against them?
] want TO construct a greater America cO-pros
perity sphere. ! want to correct the mistakes o.
the Versailles treaty insofar they allowed al
this to happen. want to win lebensraum for th'
democratic way OF life.
I'm fed up with singing plantive songs
want to sing battle songs. Don't tell me there'l
be bluebirds over the white cliffs Of Dover TO hel
with buebirds. Tell me there'll be vultureS and
deathly silence over BerchteSGaden.
Pm bored with keeping stiff upper lip
want to develop stiff uppercut. I'm tired Of ben}
made to feel sad. want the eXperience-the purg
ing, marshaling driving experience - of ben!
made to feel mad. Fighting mad.
You oct me2