The Petal paper. [volume] (Petal, Miss.) 1953-19??, 1957-03-14

me Eol1or.l
PRESIDENT DENT, DEAN CANDY, FA-
GUILTY MEMBERS, AND MEMBERS OF
THE STUDENT BODY:
On this day day, eight weeks ago. receiv-
ed from Dean Candy an invitation to speak
here. Frankly, my first impulse was to de-
cline as have done on few previous oc-
casions
That did not decline is, of course, perfect
ly obvious Though, the possibility does exist
that we all would be better off had l de-
clined
The reasons did not decline this invita-
ton, feel l should tell you, as best can,
at any rate accepted this invitation because
have an obligation-to me it's an obligation
cannot ignore, not even if wanted and tried
to. am obligated to one person, and perhaps,
n the final analysis the view | take is a
selfish one. Even SO, l think you'll agree that
selfishness, such as one feels toward his own
child, is permissible This invitation was ac-
cepted by me because of the realization of
the fact that to my daughter, who is just
four years old, l am deeply and eternally
and might add gratefully, obligated.
The thought process by which | reached
such conclusion is of no great Importance
Perhaps, as | said, it's just plain selfishness
But will add this in my own defense, just
a few other factors were involved but
the final obligation remained the same.
Going quite briefly into the thought pro-
cess, provided that's what it was, is the fact
that had my grandfather seen fit to have full
filled his obligation to my father chances are
I'd not have felt the obligation to be here
today. Going further, had my own father
seen fit to have fulfilled his obligation to me.
the chances are I'd not have felt the nee
essity of being here.
~ cIhey failed and in so failing, they
passed to me problem which they may,have
solved, or at least, problem on which thev
should have made an effort They failed OIL.
and because they failed, have a problem b
selfish person that l am, have no desire
TO pass it on to my childa My thought process
draws blank when I consider that what
was good enough for grandpa is good enough
Tor my own child. In plain language. it amt
worth damned
IL IS my desire to see my daughter live
LIE OF happiness life in which a person is
respected and accepted as a human being on
the basis OF his individual merit life in
which she can devote her energies toward
something productive, perhaps even creative
: at any rate, my obligation to her is to
provide the opportunity to build 1. not des-.
troy, nor even to cling to what she has as if
1t were all there was in the world.
But II | fail to face up to the times in which
live, If fail to face reality, then am fail
ing to give her the things which L want des-l
perately for her to have. / see no. point in
making any excuses j. on that point. and in
mat desire, I'm selfish -. as matter If
fact, I'm downright greedy.
In addition to the fact that I'm under an
obligation to my child, aside from the fact
that my forefathers failed to face up to their
tlmes' am here because am guilty of hav-
ing tailed to face up to my times not
only DO feel guilty about it, l am guilty. of
the SIN OF omission. / admit my guilt, and
I'm ashamed. Nonetheless, facts are facts
and facing them is part of the answer we
all are seeking in these, our times.
The thing of which feel such keen ou;lt
IS not for something did, but for something
l tailed to do. And I might add, here and
now, that the crime of omission IS being COM
mltted more today, and by more persons.
than ever before.
BY birth, by custom, by tradition 4. and
Dy no choice Of my own, I'm Southerner.
having been born and reared in Mississippi.
The earlier part of my life was spent living
IN various saw mill camps all over the south
ern part of the state
One evening there was an incident in nv
Mothers house which recall to this day
quite wildly. In the center of the room there
was pot-bellied stove, glowing red on its
diet of pine-knots. Around the room was
gathered group Of saw mill workers, ex-
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