The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1955-01-29
John Does Credo
As World Citizen
Bv CINDERELLA

AS a citizen I believe in happi-
ness The world I have inherited
with the d avn of 1855 is not
promising one 1t is world fraught
with great dangers, world where
happiness can easily become a lost
cause.
As a citizen I am fully aware of
these dangers to happiness.
The first danger in this yer OF
1855 is mans fear of war a fear
which has become a great obsession.
And there is good reason to fear.
The light of freedom has flickered
out in many countries of the world.
There are others in the process OF
so doing With the discovery of
great scientific forces the custodians
of these newly acquired weapons
for good and for bad sit uneasy in
complicated world The discord-
ant voice of race superiority shocks
the brooding blackness of an Afri-
can night, followed by the ever-in-
sistent cries of unrest and hatred
of the oppressed. Suspicious and
distrust sit close to the Table of
the United Nations. Let me, as
citizen. realize that to become ex-
cited by this very constant and def
mite fear is to add to the warlike
atmosphere of the world; to forget
is to turn away from my duty as
a human being, to turn away from
needful defensive preparations. Let
me be aware that peace or Serious
happiness" can only be achieved by
a positive approach. It can only be
brought about by sincere belief
that there is a way to prevent war.
And I, as a citizen must keep this
belief ever before me and I must
persuade others to believ this to be
ture.
Another real d anger is mans
quickness to measure success in
terms of material prosperity. 1t is
a condition which has resulted from
the combination of democracy with
economic inequality In place of the
old fixed social status which linn
tied individuals in the age prior to
free enterprise we have today no
obvious limits to what a man can
achieve with individual industry
and skill. 1t never occurred to these
earlier people to fight against their
fixed social st t us Consequently
they were in possession of rare con-
tentment Let me remember that
free enterprise" with all its at
tendant freedoms, has its own dan
gers. Let me remember that human
nature is complex and to confine it
within one narrow channel can new
er lead to what I seek-happiness
in an uneasy world Being aware of
this, I shall sometimes stop and
pause in order that there shall be
time to allow things to "just hap
pen to me-" as opposed to those
brought about by my own volition.
I must remind myself always that
in foregoing present happiness to
avoid future suffering, a point may
be reached where happiness b e
comes impossible and is replaced by
envy of those rare and happy peo-
pie who enjoy life.
Success to the exclusion of such
good things as health, leisure and
family affection is not happiness.
Another great danger in the year
1855 is mans servitude to conform
lty Man is a creature of habits,
and with the vast progress in tech
nical development, and the conse-
quent ready availability of the pro-
ducts of this development, we are
today much concerned with the
strange and false concept of con-
forming with ones neighbor. AS a
citizen, must remember that there
Is very grave danger in whole
sale conformity to the exclusion of
the needs of our own private souls.
The impoverishment of the soul
is the very beginning of profound
dissatisfaction.
AS citizen in an uneasy world
If I remember these things, be-
lieve happiness is possible.
New Canadian