The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1955-07-01
Just Among Ourselves


mixed blessing if blessing at all, will justify
its existence by the fact that it will help viewers
to truer estimate of what the pictured people tell
them. For instance, newscaster whose voice
ries the terrific weight of six Geneva conferences
is likely to seem less impressive when one sees
that he is a stringy young man with large Adams
apple with on him like loving-cup and
coat that doesn't fit around the neck. And to be
sure, anything that helps TO deflae the balloon of
newscaster's Omniscence is benefit to humanity
Old Vashy Molotov doesn't seem nearly so mighty
and menaclng tlgure wnen ne Is ~
with earpnones clamped his mead (at the Cali
lornla busness), sitting in diSn1aced complacency,
Ike an ordinary citizen preparing to lapse into
atter-dlnner nap. Many great leaders and experts
lose stature wnen the uusparlng lights of TV show
them to be scraggy fellows in need of haircut,
or, conrariwlse, Dapper Dams with some sort of
pomatum their pates. Sir Winston himself IS
less impressive in his wittlcSms and Criticisms
when ne appears As dumpy and amable Buddha,
than when he is heard speaking out of the dark on
radio.
The great white light tnat beats upon throne
is no more revealing Ihan the gnl that beats upon
the eleyslon stage. Actors know, of course how to
put on makeup Tor lhen appearances, but the
lads and ladies' IN the news have not TINS advantage
we them as they are, and what we see is
often depresslngy ordinary. lOp,brass very lre-
quently appears as tarnlShea metal mucn the worse
Tor wear Big wigs suddenly shrink and we realize
that wigs, big or little, are, after ALL shabby dis
guises
Senators and congressman, governors and greater
political figures have in the main, diminished and not
enhanced their standing with the people by reason
OF TV appearances. Caesar said,-as reported by
Shakespeare, that the things which threatened him
ne'er looked but OH my back; wnen they shall see
the face Of Caesar5 tney are vanished" He might
have said the same about the things that made him
Impressive In the eyes of commoners.
And still the trained speaker on TV can stand
before us with cleaning eye and mellifu0us voice
Ia propose to serious hearing the most patent alb
surditieS. The advertiser (made pleasing or toler-
able, by the cosmecian) finds true merit in the
most surprising places in the fact that his product
is wrapped in golden foil; in the suggestion of
surprising value in blend of chemicals AS con.
trssted with single useful drug in the nonsense
about travelling the smoke farther, in the newt
able hue and cry about mildneSs.
Apropos of that last item we have recently come
upon this squib:
A COMFORTING CONSIDERATION
Taxes on taxes still are piled
The West is by the Reds beguiled
Employers and their men are riled
Public relations deflled,
Delinquent youth is running Wild
BUT all our cigarettes are mild
Another bit of verse that we canoi resist quot
ing is the following
DIRECT1VES
The advertisers on TN
Are wonderful to hear and see;
They beg us to 90 into debt
BE sure =" Remember ." Don't forget !"
Oh soaps, and soups, and facial smears,
Oh, cars. and cigarettes, and heers,
oh, products excellent and pure
Remember :" Don't forget !" BE sure .,
Need sleep? Reducing? Little pills?
Need easy cash to pay your bills?
Deep freeze? Cool June, warm December?
Nov don't forget =" BE sure Re
member
Radio is still with MS despite the more gamor-
Gus and Sinuous picture tube and, as heretofore, it
brings wild variety of offerings. Just this day
we have heard from couple of fellows in the low
intelligence brackets who make living lecturing in
colleges and universities, that Catholics are "divi-
sive" in maintaining their own schools, These lads,
misnformed like all their kind said that Catholics
stress the titurgicai aspect of their religion in the
schools, and that in consequence, parochlal
schools inferior to the state schools, commonly
called by the less accurate name of public schools
preach toalitaranism. There must be freedom of
religion. There must be freedom to choose the
mode and norm of schooling, There must be dead
conformity TO made and fable doctrines
about life and its meaning and a rejection of that
doctrine which has Gods authority behind it, And
this sort of intellectual RECOMMENDATION they call
democracy This sort of LeuiniSm or Peronsm they
call the ideal of Americal And, mind you, these
lecturers arc fed from funds collected indiScrimn-
ately from Catholic Protestant, and jew
Won't these addle .pated pSeudo.p philosophers ever
look at the fact that tn Socalled public schools
are supported by Catholics well as by non'Cath.
olcS? One would think that Catholics maintaining
their parochial schools, were remiSS in doing their
full share to keep the state schools in existence
The public schools every bit as much Catholic
they non-Cathoc in their existence and
maintenance. Catholic citizens support them in
needful work. But Catholics realize that the state
schools cannot give all that their children require
and thus they assume the additional burden of main
tanning parochiaI schools tn parochia school gives
everything that the state schools can give,-and
the records stand to show that il gives ii well
or better.-and. in addition gives what the state
schools cannot give.
But still the Divisive Dimwits keep mp their