The Wyandotte news-herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1943-1963, 1946-02-07
freedom has No "Buts'

couId happen IN SO lew months. Stagger-
ing neao1neS became commonplace 1nere
Was the death OF PRESIDENT Roosevelt; the
war enoed; the united Nations ORGANIZATION
became nopeIuI IacI; and, most caIacIySmc
or all, was the numerous dawn OIL the
atomic age. IheSe were but few OF the
headlines. Inc events they portray nave
lett turbulence IN the, human mind Such
as mas never been experienced before. 1hat
turbulence is shaking the postwar world to
us very foundations. The peace ana plenty
when so many had hoped TOR when the
guns Tell silent, Is nowhere to be found.
whether II Will materlanZe III the reason
ABLY near future depenaS upon the tortltude
anu common sense OF millions.
An indication OF the temper of the times
is evident IN the words Oh one veteran.
college graduate VINO lost a leg at FL Ala
mem. There IS evidence among us of a
growing dlState Tor OratlOnS. we Will tend
10 Judge parties and proposals by results
not pe pIoteStatlonS OIL nigh purpose We
know freedom doesn't mean mucn without
grocerleS-hoW can man enjoy tree speech
ON an empty stomach"
Appealing as these words sound on the
surface, they reveal the terrible weakness
IN thought mat TO-DAY threatens the future
or the american republic and the hope of
oemOcrauc government throughout the
world more seriously than any dictator or
combination OF dlcIatorS ever has. First.
this Veteran-and his reasoning is paralleled
by millions OF ciVlllanS--iS assuming that
freedom IS somehow TO blame IL there is a
grocery shortage. Second he lnferS that
little less treeuOm can result IN few more
groceries. Third, he makes the potentially
Iatal Diunder of inviting strong man or
group to take action in the same breath,
NINA you, that he questions the validity OF
treeoom unless II is accompanied by a three
decker sandwich. This bread and butter
philosophy leaves the way wide open for
the demagogue to step III with a hattul of
prOmlSes-lInpoSSlble promises that Will re-
suit IN less freedom and fewer not more.
groceries.
General Carl A. Spaatz, former command
ing general or the united Strategical and
tactical air forces IN the Atlantic and Pacific
theatres, says: Discontinued youth makes
Tor troubled waters IN which the unscrupu-
louS politician loves to fish. When the man
on white horse comes forward in such a
situation. things begin to happen, as they
happened IN Germany. Hitler rose to power
on tne back OF youth.
American people today is how to get the
price lag OIL freedom. In other WorQS, free
aom our form OF government, our religious
beliefs, should not DE considered IN the same
breath with material fortunes The former
are things OF the spirit that must survive
IN lean years as well as year of plenty. The
latter, III spite OF our best efforts, will
tluctuate. Inc old saying of shirt sleeves
TO shirt sleeves IN three generations used
10 pretty we'll express the Americans philo-
sophie approach to the ups and downs of
economic life.
Undoubtedly as time goes on, greater pro-
lection against the hazards of poverty and
illness can be evolved. Great steps have
already been taken in this direction. The
United States is so far ahead of the rest of
the world IN the achievement of humani-
tartan ideals and attainment of material
comfort, that comparison has become inn
possible. We have gotten ahead because
heretofore our faith IN freedom, in repre-
sentative government, in the right of man
TO keep the rewards of hard work, has been
complete. Heretofore we have never, in eff
tect, said: Freedom is okay, but -"
In commenting on the present socialistic
policy OF Great Britain, which a powerful
ing, opposition leader Winston Churchill
SAID: L toreSee with sorrow but without
fear that in the next few years we shall
come to fundamental quarrelS in this coun-
faction IN our country seems bent on COPY
try 1t seems impossible to escape the tact
that events are moving and will more toward
this issue: The People VS.. the Socialists"
II there is one thing our country should
keep IN mind above everything else during
the coming year and in all the years to fol-
low, it is that freedom has no butts" You
either believe in it or you don't, and social
ism isn't freedom