The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1951-11-23
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or Ineonsiderats

puncturlng pretentlouS bubbles, IN seeing an up
start put In his proper place. in savorng the tang of
perfect rebuke perfectly administered. Even when
we do not know the persons involved we enjoy
the deserved discontinue of the brash individual
who gets his comeuppance We like to read nstan-
ces of 'the perfect squelch" and one of our most
flourshing weekly magazines furnishes us sample
of such reading in every issue.
Sometimes writer, eager to tell of a proper
Squelchng, is dishonest in reporting his facts Only
last week we read that Sam Johnson once reduced
forward lady TO powder in this fashion. The lady
remarked that DR.. Johnsons dictionary contained no
improper words. The Doctor fixed her with hard
and glittering eye Madam he said icily, you
have been looking for them"
Now, this is unfair One has only 10 look into
Boswell to find that the story not "squelcher"
Two lades,-not one,-remarked the absence of bad
words from Johnson's dictionary. The old gentle
much amused There was no bristling no
Of icy glsnceS AHA, my dears" he said jovally
you have been looking for them" Here was mat
ter for chuckes, not for rebukes. Doubtless the two
ladies Joined in the laughter. Esgerness to furnish
an instance of SqueIchng moved the modern report
or of this ancient wheeze to revamp the tale TO
his purpose. For this, he deserves "a perfect
squelch."
But is there such thing as "the perfect
squelcnIs Likely MT we snail continue 10 enjoy
the stories of upstairs and nncompoops reduced to
their common factors but that is because we enjoy
instances of justice-n the abstract. For no matter
how concrete the instances the justice is abstract
The person "squelched" is never aware of Justice
done in his case; indeed, he feels himself the vic
tim OF rank injustice. He may feel nsulted hurt
humliated outraged; he never feels he has got
what was justly coming to him.
You may set il down as thess,-but one UNI
likely to attract the scholarly efforts of prospective
Ph.D.'s,-that nobody was successfully put IN
his place" For, to be completely successful,
"squelch" would leave the victim, as we'll as the
spectators, aware of justice done. The squelch
would be lesson to the squelchee, not merely
harsh and resented experience. And human nature
being what it is il is manifest that rebuke, how
ever well deserved, is not going to be accepted at
face value; it will always be regarded insult
and therefore as an injustice.
No man is put down by what he considers raw
deal. And the most perfect squelch is always raw
deal in the opinion of its victim. He may have some
awareness Of his fault in the matter; he may have
a partial awareness of justice done by the Squech
err yet he will inevitably feel that an advantage
taken, that he really had fair show, that his
words or actions were received in the worst light,
unjustly, unfairly
AT the head of the book and in letters OF brass
ii is written. If you think you have put an upsart
in his place, 90 get yourself another thought"
The pride of fallen man will not permit him to ac-
cept lesson harshly administered to acknowl-
edge that he needed any such lesson. One Of the
shiyery TV movies which keep aware of the tre-
mendous amount of fast riding required by
western plains, shows bully thoroughly beaten by
the hero. No man was ever more completely thrash
ed Afterwards the bruised and bleeding bully
marked, "AW, he hit me when | aSnt looking"
That's the attitude of mind which makes "squelch-
ing an utterly impossible thing-except, of course,
in the abstract.
The victim of the place putting business will
be angry at the squelcher UNJUST likely, he will
be even more angry at himself for mot looking"
for leaving himself open to unfair attack. But in
case will the feeling of the person squelched
be one of humility or repentance. The victim may
be Inundated; he is never humbled.
There is far too much desire among us to see
people put in their place, and not enough effort on
the part of individuals to recognize their own place,
and to retire to it, In word, there is far too much
pride in us all and not enough humility. Each of
may recognize, upon due examination OF conscience,
the Htlerian character of our attitudes towards
others. Despotcally, we should like to put people
in their place, and make them acknowledge that II
IS their place But we shall never succeed Thank
God, we shall never succeed II would help us TO
recognize the fact that people would like to put
us in our plaee--and that the place is not one of
distinction.
Il is, 10 be sure sane and healthful TO haze de.
sire for justice. And il is right enough to find IN
the tales of "Squclchng' sense of justice achiev.
ed But lei us remember that these tales are tales;
that only half the story is told that the squelch
ing reported is badly objective and does not in
clude the feelings and the resentmens of the
squelchee
II ever horrible person we're open to a perfect
squeleh II was the bastard who came into garden
with torchbesring crowd al his heels, and q com
pany of soldiers The only rebuke he received
from the Master of us all-was the kind greeting,
Friend, whereto art thou Gomez Here is thing to
think upon when VIC find ourselves raging against
impudence indignant at brashness, resentful OF
Grass forwardness And IT is perhaps the only IN.
stance record of a rebuke which was not re.
huke actually putting a man in his place. For
Judas went out from the garden to the Sanhedrin,
and thence 10 the halter and the tree that he might
20 unto his place"