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Introductory Remarks*
This is a time for fundamentals--for straight talk about freedom,
democracy, and brotherhood--for clear thinking about the spiritual values that
have made our Nation great. If we mean to preserve our heritage and save western
civilization, we must grasp the full meaning of individual dignity and equal
opportunity, and we must put these ideas to work in our daily lives.
Sham, hesitation, or double-talk will not suffice on this anniversary
of Washington's birthday, for the hour is perilously late and the danger to our
way of life is total and relentless. At this moment, the disciples of Communist
Imperialism are beaming their Great Lies about the Free World, about the United
Nations, and about the United States to every corner of the globe. Their "upside-
down talk" makes mockery of our institutions and our beliefs. It is of crucial
importance that we seize every opportunity to speak out against the evils of
totalitarianism, and at the same time affirm our belief in and devotion to the
ideals of democratic living.
It is especially significant, therefore, that today in Washington we are
paying special tribute to four young people who speak for democracy. These high
school students--two girls, age 16, and two boys, age 17--have shown that they
know how to talk straight and think straight about the fundamentals and about
the moral principles that really count in this free society of ours. They are
about to receive scholarship awards honoring them as winners of the fourth
annual "Voice of Democracy" contest. In this contest the United States Office
of Education has taken a part since its inception in 1947. One and one-half
*By Earl James McGrath, U.S. Commissioner of Education, Federal Security Agency,
Washington, D. C. at the Voice of Democracy Awards Luncheon, Hotel Statler,
Washington, D. C., February 22, 1951, 1:30 p.m.
Published in School Life, Volume 33, No. 8, May 1951, p. 114.
- 2 -
million young people took part in this year's contest in the second, third, and
fourth years of high school.
It has been apparent to those who have heard their words that our young
people fully understand the meaning of democracy and appreciate the significance
of the present attack upon its values. Their statements bear eloquent testimony
to the fact that in our schools young people learn that democracy is as democracy
does. Our youth know what they believe in and what they are willing to defend.
In these words a former winner of the Voice of Democracy contest recently
explained why it is important that young people speak out for democracy. He said:
"America never has had, and most likely never again will have
such a need for reaffirming support of democratic principles.
The Voice of Democracy contest did this for me, for I can see
that only democracy and its degree of individual freedom can stand
as the ray of hope beyond the blackness of tomorrow. Working
among America's high school generation, the contest is of
highest importance in helping young Americans grasp that thread
of idealism which is the only hope for maintaining our national
integrity."
The contest awards to 1951's eloquent spokesmen for democracy will be
presented by The Honorable Frank Pace, Secretary of the Army. It is now my
pleasure to introduce Secretary Pace
I believe that you, like me, must get a great elevation of
spirit in hearing the expressions by these young people of the ideals
and the ideas for which this country stands. I am sure, too, that you,
the adult members of this audience, feel very humble. I am sure you
feel some soul-searching is necessary to discover to what extent we
live up to these high ideals. I never leave this meeting without feel-
ing a great deal of satisfaction and great sense of security with respect
to the future of this great country. The other members of this audience
will forgive an educator if he says that in a small way he gets a per-
sonal satisfaction out of being associated with a profession which,
to be sure, is not entirely responsible for these performances because
it shares that responsibility with the church and the home, but which
nevertheless has these young people in hand for a large portion of
their daily lives. I feel, when I hear these statements, that the school
teachers of the Nation are doing a pretty good job in perpetuating the
traditions and the ideals of our country. For you I express to these
two young ladies and young gentlemen a great admiration for what they have
done and through them to a million and a half others. And I am sure
that I on their behalf express their gratitude for the distinguished group
that has come to meet with us here today.
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"ocrText": "Introductory Remarks*\nThis is a time for fundamentals--for straight talk about freedom,\ndemocracy, and brotherhood--for clear thinking about the spiritual values that\nhave made our Nation great. If we mean to preserve our heritage and save western\ncivilization, we must grasp the full meaning of individual dignity and equal\nopportunity, and we must put these ideas to work in our daily lives.\nSham, hesitation, or double-talk will not suffice on this anniversary\nof Washington's birthday, for the hour is perilously late and the danger to our\nway of life is total and relentless. At this moment, the disciples of Communist\nImperialism are beaming their Great Lies about the Free World, about the United\nNations, and about the United States to every corner of the globe. Their \"upside-\ndown talk\" makes mockery of our institutions and our beliefs. It is of crucial\nimportance that we seize every opportunity to speak out against the evils of\ntotalitarianism, and at the same time affirm our belief in and devotion to the\nideals of democratic living.\nIt is especially significant, therefore, that today in Washington we are\npaying special tribute to four young people who speak for democracy. These high\nschool students--two girls, age 16, and two boys, age 17--have shown that they\nknow how to talk straight and think straight about the fundamentals and about\nthe moral principles that really count in this free society of ours. They are\nabout to receive scholarship awards honoring them as winners of the fourth\nannual \"Voice of Democracy\" contest. In this contest the United States Office\nof Education has taken a part since its inception in 1947. One and one-half\n*By Earl James McGrath, U.S. Commissioner of Education, Federal Security Agency,\nWashington, D. C. at the Voice of Democracy Awards Luncheon, Hotel Statler,\nWashington, D. C., February 22, 1951, 1:30 p.m.\nPublished in School Life, Volume 33, No. 8, May 1951, p. 114.\n- 2 -\nmillion young people took part in this year's contest in the second, third, and\nfourth years of high school.\nIt has been apparent to those who have heard their words that our young\npeople fully understand the meaning of democracy and appreciate the significance\nof the present attack upon its values. Their statements bear eloquent testimony\nto the fact that in our schools young people learn that democracy is as democracy\ndoes. Our youth know what they believe in and what they are willing to defend.\nIn these words a former winner of the Voice of Democracy contest recently\nexplained why it is important that young people speak out for democracy. He said:\n\"America never has had, and most likely never again will have\nsuch a need for reaffirming support of democratic principles.\nThe Voice of Democracy contest did this for me, for I can see\nthat only democracy and its degree of individual freedom can stand\nas the ray of hope beyond the blackness of tomorrow. Working\namong America's high school generation, the contest is of\nhighest importance in helping young Americans grasp that thread\nof idealism which is the only hope for maintaining our national\nintegrity.\"\nThe contest awards to 1951's eloquent spokesmen for democracy will be\npresented by The Honorable Frank Pace, Secretary of the Army. It is now my\npleasure to introduce Secretary Pace\nI believe that you, like me, must get a great elevation of\nspirit in hearing the expressions by these young people of the ideals\nand the ideas for which this country stands. I am sure, too, that you,\nthe adult members of this audience, feel very humble. I am sure you\nfeel some soul-searching is necessary to discover to what extent we\nlive up to these high ideals. I never leave this meeting without feel-\ning a great deal of satisfaction and great sense of security with respect\nto the future of this great country. The other members of this audience\nwill forgive an educator if he says that in a small way he gets a per-\nsonal satisfaction out of being associated with a profession which,\nto be sure, is not entirely responsible for these performances because\nit shares that responsibility with the church and the home, but which\nnevertheless has these young people in hand for a large portion of\ntheir daily lives. I feel, when I hear these statements, that the school\nteachers of the Nation are doing a pretty good job in perpetuating the\ntraditions and the ideals of our country. For you I express to these\ntwo young ladies and young gentlemen a great admiration for what they have\ndone and through them to a million and a half others. And I am sure\nthat I on their behalf express their gratitude for the distinguished group\nthat has come to meet with us here today."
}