Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1947-08-08
By
Clayton
Rusch
Chairman

What with coal shortages
and other economic problems
one would think that merry
old England" had enough
trouble without creating arti-
ficial problems. However,
Little Red Riding Hood" and
Punch and Judy have come in
for censure. 1t is a foregone
conclusion that these self
styled guardians of child edu-
catioon will not cease until all
children's fairy tales have
been put under the ban.
There are many adults in
the United States today who
are not leading the comforta-
Die and easy life that our ma
tural resources and national
productive facilities make pos
sible. Yet most American
adults share heritage that
poverty and hardship cannot
deprive them of.
What American adult can
not remember his childhood
acquaintance with Jack the
Giant Killer" "The Three
Bears" "Hansel and Gretel,"
Beauty and the Beast" and
the other M o ther Goose,
Grimm and Anderson Fairy
Tales?
What American adult can.
not remember his slightly later
acquaintance with "R o bin
Hood" King Arthur" and the
Arabian Nights?
Deprive our children of such
literature and we take away
a good share of their Joy of
living.
Robinson Crusoe," "Trea-
sure Island" Captains Cou.
rageous" and Forty Leagues
Under the Sea" are not ex.
actly fairy tales, but they tell
of high adventure and could
be classed by prim refornfers
as a poor influence on impress
sionable minds.
THE BIBLE
Let us not forget the Bible.
Few if any have ever claimed
that knowledge of the Bible
story is harmful to the young.
1t just seems that every so
often the children's world of
imaginative literature come in
for some vicious attacks.
However, the world of make
believe has endured all at
tempts to liquidate il. 1t is the
great good fortune of many
generations of children, yet un-
born, that fairy tales will live
as long as children love them.
In the long run all attempts
to destroy juvenile imagina-
tive literature, with the mis-
guided purpose of educating
the young will fail.
Certainly all of us have to
face the cares of life soon
enough. Let the children revel
in their enjoyment of the make
believe world while they can.
The real world will close in on
them all too soon.
However, there could be a
sensible and progressive cru
sade against fairy tales. Such
a movement should be directed
at the impossible fairy tales
the daily papers, magazines
and reactionary orators dish
out for adult consumption.
am referring, of course, to
the tales of the barefoot boys
who become industrial tycoonS
and financial kings; to the
theory that we all get the
same or similar economic op-
portunities; to the illusion that
there are no economic classes
in America. to the tale that if
one has ability and persever-
ance he is bound to succeed
and the yarn that labor unions
need curbs to prevent them
from taking advantage of the
corporations.
We adults must face life's
problems. We must recognize
the need for labor unions, po-
litical action and co-ops. This
would be easier to accomplish
II the facts were not obscured
by the false propaganda ema-
mating from newspapers. mag
azines, radios and movie
screens.
Let us resolve to let the
children live as long as they
can in the world of make
believe. AT the same time, we
adults should quit trying to
escape into it and face the real
world as it is.
When we do that we will
have taken the first step
toward Transforming the pres
ent world of war and poverty
into the possible world of peace
and plenty. Let the children
enjoy their fairy tales, and let
us adults get down to business.
We can begin by making
PAC so strong that we can
sweep the stooges of big busi-
ness out of office and replace
them with representatives of