Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1948-09-03
What's
New?
BY
Edward ]. Duck


secret of sham behind the tour and the publi-
time for quite obvious reasons. There is no
city attendant. The so-called cold war with
Russia calls for national appreciation of the
freedom and liberty which is guaranteed to
all Americans in the Constitution and the Bill
of Rights. Russians enjoy no such privileges.
to be sure.
The sham and the hypocrisy of some people
who violate the laws of our land, seeking
ways and means of depriving their fellowmen
of the constitutionally inaEenable freedom
which they themselves not only enjoy but
abuse gives cause for serious thought
So when we see the Freedom Train, or
read about it, we should think not only of how
precious our American Freedoms are, but
freedoms to those for whom freedom is but
how we can practice the extension of these
myth.
The freedom written into our Constitution
cost great deal in sweat, blood, and tears, for
wars have been fought for its defense. The
war for freedom doesn't stop when treaties
are signed and uniforms discarded. For these
are individuals in our country, yes even in our
city, in our private and public groups, who
preach what they call "Americanism" and
practice bigotry; hatred, and the obstruction
of freedom for others.
Most of us are quick to assert our own
rights, but mighty slow in according others
their rights. Too much of our love of demo-
cracy and "Amercanism" is found in speeches,
not enough of it in our daily lives.
Witness the moronic display of the igno-
rant egg throWers and tomato-tosserS in South
Carolina or maybe it was North Carolina,
it makes no difference, really = who prac-
ticed their local brand of "patriotims" in heav.
ing vegetables at former vice president of
the United States. We certainly agree with
Henry Wallace when he told them that from
the scrawny bodies and hate-distorted faces he
had seen around there, they would do well to
eat their food, what they could get of it, in
stead of throwing it away.
Perhaps we think that Wallace is today a
political prisoner of the Communist Party,
that he is a dune to Moscow, that he is as
msled as he could be. In fact we do. But
whether we agree WIN ms views Ur not is not
the question. We must admit that if free
speech and free assembly be denied to a
former wire president of our country, it can
most certainly be denied to any other citizen.
And that is wrong, whether it happens in one
of the most biased communities of our nation
AS a matter of fact, it has happened to
other people in Toledo 1t has happened in
every major city of the United States 1t will
continue to happen wherever there are people
who don't believe in democracy, who don't
believe in giving the other fellow the same
kind of fair treatment they demand for them
selves.
Human nature, with all its faults and foib-
les, will slip away and commit error despite
the devil and Doctor Foster. 1t is up to each
of us to accept personal responsibility for do
ing what we know is the right thing and the
democratic thing. 1t is up to us to respect the
opinions of others, to allow them their "day
in court when they disagree with us, and to
strive in our own personal way to extend
democracy to the people and places not now
practicing it,
The Freedom Train will serve as re-
minder to us that democracy is not handed to
I'll. M
must fight to gain it, fight to keep it, and
strive to pass it along to others.
Russian propagandists, and American Com
munists as we'll, point out the instances where
democracy is lacking in our country but their
purpose can hardly be to advance democracy,
because there is no less democratic group in
the world than theirs
If we practice what we preach there will
be little fertile soil for alien isms to cultivate
1t is up to us to practice it.