The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1951-06-28

The
Souihernmost
Corner
BY
Cherries Duerkes

Any person connected even re-
motely with law enforcement
will tell you that Ignorance is
no excuse in the eyes of the
law" in case you do not know
that already.
As far as you know there is
no law against tossing a dead
rodent into a room full of Con-
gressmen up in Washington, let
us say, but if you go up there
and start heaving deceased rats
about you will find that there IS
a law applying to such hilarious
action, that the cops will not
consider it funny, that a judge
win definitely frown upon such
procedure and that, in spite OF
your ignorance, you will doubt
less wind up in the pokey.
That is why l fail to understand
the lenient attitude that has been
displayed for 10, these many years
toward persons engaged IN Com
munist capers. Much time and
money has been spent putting the
finger on these stinkers, but they
sit calmly before the investigating
committees and say "Golly, !
didn't realize what was doing,
or words to that effect. In other
words, they plead ignorance and
are dismissed with pat on the
wrist.
The recent lineup of Hollywood
celebrities who pleaded ignorance
to their Communist leanings is a
sickening case in point. Any of
these sharpies, and why waste
space naming them, are far from
ignorant when it comes TO turn
ing fast buck, or haggling over
contracts, or furthering their car
GERS. They are able to read well
enough to even understand the
small print down at the bottom,
of the contract They are intelli-
gent enough to read the news
papers, they know about the Con-
stitution of the United States and
they know that Soviet Russia is
out to clobber US, but good.
The Hollywood Reds reap as
founding financial harvests, live
better and have more liberties
than any other nation on earth
offers, and yet they align them
selves with a party that is out to
overthrow the very system which
gave them everything they ever
had.
Such astounding ignorance Is
unbelievable. 1t smackS more of
insanity than of ignorance and if
the authorities fail to toss them
into the bastille for being dumb
then they should be committed to
the looney bin.
An admittedly great actor, like
Ferrer, who comes here from for
eign shores and is hoisted TO the
pinnacle of success and fame,
would, one would imagine, feel
grateful. But apparently Senior
Ferrer hates all this capitolistie
balderdash and would like to see
il abolished.
The great negroe baritone, Paul
Robson, man with good ed
ucation, a man who rose to fame
and fortune to be regarded as a
credit and an uplift to his race,
turned to Communism with open
arms and purse. Can he plead ig-
norance? He is not an ignorant
man Maybe he is just plain nuts
Communism, and its threat to
our way of life is no new thing.
Over twenty years ago used to
stand in Union Square. or at Coll
ufnbus Circle, in New York, and
listen TO the Commies rant and
rave. A lot of people laughed,
some people listened, and the
whole thing sent a chill of fear
up my spine even then.
The orators were seedy looking,
most Of the time, and the greater
Dirt 81 their audiences were a
doJvntrodden, shabby lot. There
ware bright eyed youngsters from
the universities, though, among
the crowds, and many people who
probably could plead ignorance to
anything.
My friend and / used to have a
game to drive the speakers nuts
We knew that most of the spielers
memorized their lousy speeches
All Communist propaganda Is