Evening star., 1963-05-03
Battle of Cinema Hill

have watched with inter-
est the ignoble efforts of
Legion Post lit, in Fairfax
County to censor the showing
of various films in the area.
Censorship in its fanatical
form is one of the most
alarming institutions Of man.
kind. akin to only the ancient
casting Of stones. "Censors"
condemned Socrates to death
for "corrupting" the youth of
Athens. He was only search
ing for the truth and I think
that time has absolved him
of his crime" and mankind
learned a great lesson from
him, that Of stimulation
through varied ideas. Those
who were martyred in the
growth Of Christianity were
also put to the stake by "cen-
SorS," people who found it i'm
possible to accept the idea of
brotherly love. And so we see
throughout history mankind's
slow plodding forward always
being tried by cenSors.
We no longer physically
burn people at the stake; we
have fortunately become quite
civilized, so that we burn
them with stigmata as Com
munist," Fascist" Social
ist," "un-American" or any
other convenient appelation
which might come to mind at
the proper time. Thousands
of Americans must now wear
the scarlet letter Of "a man
linked to a group once listed
on the Attorney Generals List
Of Subversive Organizations"
Such a man is the producer
Of one Of the pictures in ques-
ton, and no matter how
tenuous was his tie, he still
suffers as though he had
plotted to overthrow the Ma
ton by bombing the national
headquarters of the American
Legion.
I greatly admire the pa
tience Of Joseph B. Runey
and his staff in dealing with
these people and would like
him to know that at least
there are some on his side.
Robert ii. Schirmer.
The Stars April 26 edi-
torial and Mr.. Berryman's
cartoon Of the same day,
both critical Of the Fairfax
County American Legion's
action against the county Ii
brary's film program, were
most unfortunate.
The film Japan" is a
presentation Of truth, half
truths. untruths. all brought
to bear on a slanted ideologi-
cal view.
Ihave a pretty good knowl-
edge Of Japan. the people.
and the language, having
lived and worked in that land
for the most part Of the past
IL years.
Japan is depicted by the
film as being the victim-the
victim Of the atom bomb. of
severe economic competition,
Of overpopulation, Of lack of
land, and Of the traditions Of
the past. The implication is
that the United States has
not done right by Japan, and
the statement is made at the
end Of the film that Japan's
only hope for survival is clos
er cooperation with the
United Nations. This is the
pervading tone Of the film,
and 1t cannot be accidental:
1t is clearly slanted accord
ing to someone's bias.
Japan is not the victim Of
economic circumstances and
competition. The Japanese
people do not need such mis-
guided feelings Of sympathy.
They are to be admired. They
are independent, self-suffi-
cient, industrious, and highly
successful in a competitive
world, having done very we'll
through close cooperation
with the United States and
the West.
Japan" is innocuous, per-
haps, as far as the average
viewer is concerned. Still, the
perspective OF the film is a
deliberate distortion in the
eyes OF those who know Ja-
pans true condition and po-
sition in the world today.
I was enraged by the sec
ond film. picture In Your
Mind" I have never seen a
more clever and evil mixture
Of organic evolutionary the
ory, atheistic humanism, and
inclusivistic internationalism.
II is presumptuous. arro-
CANT, Grass and blatant. The
film is an example Of BRAIN
washing technique, mental
and spiritual intimidation.
American Legion Post 1T
is in order in demanding the
cancellation OF all showings
OF these and other films in