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I see men and women rejected as applicants for jobs,
not because they are not qualified, but because of their
color. I see a country that is deprived of the abilities
of those who would make it greater. I read of men who
protest a Fair Employment Practices Commission because
they say -- it would establish more unbearable govern-
mental control. I wonder if those men have ever read the
Declaration of Independence's statement about the pursuit
of happiness. I wonder if they believe in the rights of
man or is they are hypnotized, like a rabbit is by a rattle-
snake, into an unknowing obedience to things as they are
and a false sense of security. Is it wrong to enforce
justice? Should we discard the whole theory of law enforce-
ment? Freedom can never be defended unless we surrender
some of it, and justice cannot survive without freedom.
I am not an economist or a logician, yet I believe
that an F. E. P. C. would be beneficial to our country.
If men work together, the shell of ignorance of each other
upon which intolerance is based can be broken. More people
would have better jobs, and would earn more money with
which to buy more things and create a demand which would
necessitate more jobs. There would be better living con-
ditions economically, physically, morally, and socially.
Too many people have no reason to hope for anything
more than the most menial of jobs because some men do not
want other men to have a chance at decent jobs. Those
men do not realize that they are hurting themselves and
America.
I do not see, in the improvement of the Negro's eco-
nomic condition, the solution to the "American Dilemma".
It is just one of the more important factors that must
be changed to make democracy live. Innocent people have
suffered long enough.
The Nazis had their education for death: America has
an educational system which, instead of being used to fur-
ther the cause of true democracy, has done too little to
further knowledge of one's fellow men. There are segre-
gated schools which, along with segregated housing, tend
to strengthen the walls of racial and class isolation.
Too many of us have lost sight of the fact that our coun-
try was founded by men and women working together for the
common good. Isolationism can destroy America, so Amer-
ica must destroy isolationism.
Very few textbooks tell of the contributions of Negroes
to society. Sociology books tell how bloated is the ratio
of Negro arrests to the proper percentage of population,
yet they do not show most of the inflictions with which
the Negro is encumbered. Education, in so many ways, is
perpetuating ignorance. Ignorance perpetuates intolerance.
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"ocrText": "-2-\nI see men and women rejected as applicants for jobs,\nnot because they are not qualified, but because of their\ncolor. I see a country that is deprived of the abilities\nof those who would make it greater. I read of men who\nprotest a Fair Employment Practices Commission because\nthey say -- it would establish more unbearable govern-\nmental control. I wonder if those men have ever read the\nDeclaration of Independence's statement about the pursuit\nof happiness. I wonder if they believe in the rights of\nman or is they are hypnotized, like a rabbit is by a rattle-\nsnake, into an unknowing obedience to things as they are\nand a false sense of security. Is it wrong to enforce\njustice? Should we discard the whole theory of law enforce-\nment? Freedom can never be defended unless we surrender\nsome of it, and justice cannot survive without freedom.\nI am not an economist or a logician, yet I believe\nthat an F. E. P. C. would be beneficial to our country.\nIf men work together, the shell of ignorance of each other\nupon which intolerance is based can be broken. More people\nwould have better jobs, and would earn more money with\nwhich to buy more things and create a demand which would\nnecessitate more jobs. There would be better living con-\nditions economically, physically, morally, and socially.\nToo many people have no reason to hope for anything\nmore than the most menial of jobs because some men do not\nwant other men to have a chance at decent jobs. Those\nmen do not realize that they are hurting themselves and\nAmerica.\nI do not see, in the improvement of the Negro's eco-\nnomic condition, the solution to the \"American Dilemma\".\nIt is just one of the more important factors that must\nbe changed to make democracy live. Innocent people have\nsuffered long enough.\nThe Nazis had their education for death: America has\nan educational system which, instead of being used to fur-\nther the cause of true democracy, has done too little to\nfurther knowledge of one's fellow men. There are segre-\ngated schools which, along with segregated housing, tend\nto strengthen the walls of racial and class isolation.\nToo many of us have lost sight of the fact that our coun-\ntry was founded by men and women working together for the\ncommon good. Isolationism can destroy America, so Amer-\nica must destroy isolationism.\nVery few textbooks tell of the contributions of Negroes\nto society. Sociology books tell how bloated is the ratio\nof Negro arrests to the proper percentage of population,\nyet they do not show most of the inflictions with which\nthe Negro is encumbered. Education, in so many ways, is\nperpetuating ignorance. Ignorance perpetuates intolerance."
}