The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-06-09
Tough Shedding
Tough Shedding
TheseDays S Nse gz I9ti e. soHopsxr

recall the excitement. too many
years ago, on the day OF graduation
from high school. There was a
feeling OF now ! am man. We
were stepping out and stepping
high. It was back in the days
when the "go-getter' was a popu.
lar figure. when the "self-made
man" was a hero 10 young boys.
We would make our own world.
| attended my sons graduation
from collegiate school and won
dered about these boys. Two were
leaving for the Navy Immediately;
some in a few weeks would be in
the Army or the Navy. A few were
going TO college for eight or nine
months until they would be draft.
ed. And they wondered for how
long and what they would do ar
forwards. They we're puzzled-and
il the truth were known, perhaps
not a little frightened. Their way
was not clear ahead They were
btlhh 81 duudltu lAlAO war.
II took lots Of courage for these
youngsters to stick at their books
and TO come through with high
marks and cum laude and all that.
And il will take even more cour-
age for the seventeeners TO walt
until they are IS.
These boys sang TO the music of
the hymn in Beethoven's ninth SYM
phony the poem Of one OF their
classmates, Clinton G. Heiner, now
l7-but written two years ago-a
poem OF hope and assurance not
in self but in God. No adult could
have expressed more accurately
what these boys feel SO deeply:
Let us all now come together
raise our voices praising Thee.
Thou who mad'st the briar and
heather who controlst the deep
blue sea. reign ST above the rest
less wave, standest guard Ger all
the world. Let's man rest in holy
grave or to depths OF bell be hurled.
Thou whose son from heaven de-
scended, all our sins did over
whelm; once again to Thee as
cended, rules Ger all Thy starry
realm. God our Father. now pro.
tect us that We may by Thee abide.
Meth Thy sheltering hand collect
us. Mercy TO men far and wide"
| heard this same boy who spoke
OF his colleagues as I'VE who are
the present OF the nation" plead
Tor justice and tolerance and
against cynicism. And | spoke TO
the other boys and they said that
that was right-that that is the
world they want. And that is mot
the world that we adults-we. who
are the past Of the nation gave
them. We hate. These bows do
not hate. They only know what
messy thing we have made OF
their lives. and they wonder why.
When there is so much being
said and written about juvenile de.
hnquency and pin-up girls and
war marriages and divorces. II il
refreshing to come close to bows
graduating from high school into
war who turn to morality and re.
ligion-
Meth Thy sheltering hand col.
iect us. Mercy to men far and
wide anu
AND as long as boys and girls
IN their teens feel that way abou,
their world. We need not be do.
pressed about our nation. for We
are preparing a wholesome leader.
snip Tor the future. Only those
despair who have no faith.
And so thousands of them will
go out into this world which can
make no sense when Eleanor
Roosevelt describes Winston Chure
hills mind as tory at the age of
nine-and hardened and scerlotic
since then. And they cannot I'M
derstsnd what they are being call
ed upon TO fight for when the At