The Echo

SEEK THE TRUTH!
By Ruth Taylor

The other day a well meaning visitor
to our shores showed me the front
page of a metropolitan paper-replete
with stories on the differences of opinion
between various groups and agencies.
With a sorrowful shake of his
head, he said: "Is this how democracy
works? Did you read the terrible
names they called each other?
Somebody must be right. If there is
such a difference of thinking, something
must be wrong with this country.
Democracy doesn't work after
all!"

He completely missed the point.
If he had turned over a few more
pages, he would have seen it clearly
explained in an advertisement regarding
one of these disputes.

"Imagine Hitler's kept judges or
Tojo's military courts permitting
Polish Jews or Korean patriots to
testify in open hearings concerning
the injustices and the outrages which
have been perpetuated upon them!"

This is democracy. This is what is
meant by the rule of the majority.
In its encouragement of the search
for truth lies the value of freedom of
speech and expression. The Founding
Fathers knew that if they ensured
free speech - the birthright of all
Anglo Saxon nations-they could ensure
truth seeking. The danger we
have to guard against, however, is
when freedom of speech becomes unbridled
speech, when it extends beyond
the bounds of good taste and
justice.

Democracy is safe only so long as
we continue to seek the truth. The
basic falsity of the Nazis' ideology is
that they try to square the facts to
their own theories or desires. They
do not seek the truth because it may
contradict what they wish to believe.
They are not willing to accept truth
because of its verity alone.

The danger is not from loud people,
but from over-clever people. The
minute you can bring a problem out
into the open, the moment you can
freely discuss any subject, the danger
of that subject turning into a serious
problem is lessened. Men hate each
other because they do not understand
each other. The more men know
about their neighbors, either in shop
or store, in street or in state -- the
less will they hate each other-and
the better will they work together.

Bring out the facts. Seek the truth
-and the truth will set you free!