Evening star., 1963-09-02

America mucn. he mas not
given her a holiday. All
Americans deserve a holiday
during the month of August,
so why not proclaim August
% to be a National Holiday?
1t could be called Freedom
Day or Civil Rights Day.
This fixed day would couple
with variable Labor Day to
give a span of 5 to IL days
to climax our traditional
summer vacation season.
John L. Little.
X 4 4
During last Wednesdays
demonstration I was sur
prised in several ways, not
least by the extent to which,
as a white liberal" wary of
some extremist" groups,
felt wholly sympathetic with
the persons marching around
me. In thinking it over
later 1 realized that these
100000 have done as few
other large groups before
them: They have-simply
made their presence felt as
human beings: talking, sing
ing, eating, enjoying an ex-
citing and often picnic like
excursion, listening to port
able radios, Strolling. rest
ing.
Which leads to a simple
and very interesting thought:
In a relaxed and friendly
atmosphere such as that
which prevailed so much of
the time, one can easily be
an "integrationist" (though
1t would never occur to use
the word)-but can one be
a SegregationiSt? Does it
not require a goad and a
surge of energy to be "agin'
it,? Does it not require
more consciousness?
Can a segregationiSt be re-
laXed?
Hardy Hansen.
+ = +
AS a participant in the
August 28th March on Wash
ington I was particularly i'm
pressed with the very notice
able presence of Catholic
and Protestant organizations
from many parts of the
country. l marched with a
Catholic group of $50 and
there were "a great many
others in the sector where
I was. Predominantly they
were white. There were many
clergy of all denominations.
This religious motivation
so evident to those at the
demonstration did not come
through in the television
showings nor in the news
paper reports. I believe it
deserves attention, for it
means that the movement
for racial justice has a
strength that is greater than
we have hitherto realized.
Ebert r. SiSSOn
Il Il
Mary McGrory's pie ce,
Nothing Could DiSmay" on
the Freedom March finds an
echo in my own heart. She
saw exactly what I saw, and
she seems to have sensed the
deep poignancy of this gath
ering-the longing, the de-
termination, the strength of
good and loyal citizens of a
country that has ignored
their inherent rights too
long.
But what was David Law
renee seeing the while?
Could it have been the same
group? 1t must have been.
There was only one Freedom
March. And then remem-
ber Matthew Henry's words,
There are none so blind as
those that will not see."
May God open the eyes of
all the citizens of this land.
We must stop rationalizing
our past mistakes, and see
things clearly as they are
now.
Ruth ID. Boyer
\
I did not expect David
Lawrence to approve of the
Freedom March, but I was
hardly prepared for the sour,
cynical outburst in his COL
umn Of August 30. Mr.. Law
renee must have been talk
ing about some other demon
stration, for how anyone can
call a magnificent exercise
Of simple democracy a dis
grace by a mob" is COM
pletely beyond me.
IsadOre Perlman.
n
There was a rare and NOV
ing eloquence in the quiet
dignity of the Marchers.
Surely the Negro American
has now spoken In a way
that will reach the hearts
and consciences Of his white
brethren.
Surely the white American