Jackson advocate., 1962-06-09
The Worst Sin
Is Ingratitude
By JOSEPH F. ALBRIGHT

/
Once upon a time as the
NEUROLOGICAL legend goes q
prince was journeying along q
deserted road. Suddenly he
came upon a beautiful maiden
who told him that she was lost.
With all of his inherent chiv-
airy, he offered to carry her
home. Upon arrival at her cot
tage, he was promptly set upon,
robbed and held prisoner by her
covetous relatives.
Angered by this display Of
ingratitude, the gods turned the
entire family into rats, a fit
ting sequel to their contemplate
action.
During my lifetime I have
seen some of the most despicable
examples of ingratitude that
could ever be envisioned
the love, trust and care Of ro-
mantle participants stained in
delibly byeone party or the other
with callous promiscuity
friendships brutally destroyed
by treachery the sincere
charity of generous personal as
sistance in time of dire need
repaid by the recipients with un-
believable disdain the help
ing hand of unselfish Samari-
tanism bitten by two legged
dogs of ingrates.
One afternoon when I was six
year old after having been
given more than my share Of
his bag Of delicious cookies by
playmate I permitted a
brief argument to so incense me
that I struck him in inexcus-
able anger. My mother, who had
observed this choice bit of foul
play from the vantage point Of
the kitchen window, promptly
called me into the house and
administered the physical pun
ishment I richly deserved. Then
she impressed a lesson upon my
adolescent mind that | shall
never forget when she told me
with chastening vehemance, "Of
all the sins of the DEVILS doing,
none is lower than ingratitude."
know now that she was right
beyond all question.
The simplest thing in abomi-
nation to accomplish in all hui
man relationships is the be+ray-
al of those who love US. This
stems from the fact that there
is no defense against the betray-
al of implicit trust. That is
why the violation is so utterly
contemplate; it is the stab in
the back, the ambush of the in
nocent.
One of the most controversial
issues now confronting US on
the national scene involves what
to do about our foreign aid pro-
gram. There is a growing and
sincere doubt in the minds of
many of US as to what actual
good is being accomplished in
relation to our charitable inter
est and the great cost involved.
Perhaps, in my own case, I am
growing cynical by virtue of
what l have seen in my travels
across the earth; but / find my
self walking more and more with
the doubling. l would be the
last to deny aid to the deserving
and less fortunate than we
blessed Americans; but I will
forever be among the first to
insist that the aid be denied to
any and all whose thankfulness
is questionable. There is just
no point of logic or beneficience
in giving assistance to ingrates
+. personal or national.
Years ago we kids played a
game that was a form of what
is now called Russian roul-
ette." We would throw a stone
straight up in the air and then
stand perfectly still with bowed
head awaiting its fall. My in
terest in the game ended per-
manently one day when my
stone came down and conked me
on my noggin painfully
reminding me Of an inviolate
law Of nature, "all that goes
up must come down."
| Retribution follows the same
course eventully for those who
play with the fire of ingrati-
tude it will surely exact
its own punishment. These are
not my words; they are Gods.