Thank you for visiting SNEWPapers!
Sign up free
Editorial
October 12, 1939
The Redwood Gazette
Redwood Falls, Redwood County, Minnesota
What is this article about?
This editorial portrays the everyday freedoms and privileges of an American citizen, contrasting them with wartime restrictions, and urges preservation of these 'priceless privileges.' Signed by the New York Sun.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
HE IS AN AMERICAN.
He hears an airplane overhead, and if
he looks up at all does so in curiosity,
neither in fear nor in the hope of seeing a
protector.
His wife goes marketing, and her pur-
chases are limited by her needs, her tastes,
her budget, but not by decree.
He comes home of an evening through
streets which are well lighted, not dimly in
blue.
He reads his newspaper and knows
that what it says is not concocted by a
bureau, but an honest, untrammeled effort
to present the truth.
He has never had a gas mask on.
He has never been in a bombproof
shelter.
His military training, an R. O. T. C.
course in college, he took because it excused
him from the gym course, and it was not
compulsory.
He belongs to such fraternal organiza-
tions and clubs as he wishes.
He adheres to a political party to the
extent that he desires the dominant one,
if that be his choice, but with the distinct
reservation that he may criticize any of its
policies with all the vigor which to him
seems proper-any other as his convictions
dictate, even, if it be his decision, one which
holds that the theory of government of the
country is wrong and should be scrapped.
He does not believe, if his party is out
of power, that the only way in which it can
come into power is through a bloody revolu-
tion.
He converses with friends, even with
chance acquaintances, expressing freely his
opinion on any subject, without fear.
He does not expect his mail to be open-
ed between posting and receipt, nor his tele-
phone to be tapped.
He changes his place of dwelling, and
does not report so doing to the police.
He has not registered with the police.
He carries an identification card only
in case he should be the victim of a traffic
accident.
He thinks of his neighbors across inter-
national borders--of those to the north as
though they were across a State line, rather
than as foreigners--of those to the south
more as strangers since they speak a lang-
uaage different from his, and with the know-
ledge that there are now matters of differ-
ence between his government and theirs, but
of neither with an expectancy of war.
He worships GOD in the fashion of his
choice, without let.
His children are with him in his home,
neither removed to a place of greater safe-
ty, if young, nor, if older, ordered to serve
the State with sacrifice of limb or life.
He has his problems, his troubles, his
uncertainties, but all others are not over-
shadowed by the imminence of battle and
sudden death.
He should struggle to preserve his
Americanism with its priceless privileges.
He is a fortunate man.
He is an American.-New York Sun.
He hears an airplane overhead, and if
he looks up at all does so in curiosity,
neither in fear nor in the hope of seeing a
protector.
His wife goes marketing, and her pur-
chases are limited by her needs, her tastes,
her budget, but not by decree.
He comes home of an evening through
streets which are well lighted, not dimly in
blue.
He reads his newspaper and knows
that what it says is not concocted by a
bureau, but an honest, untrammeled effort
to present the truth.
He has never had a gas mask on.
He has never been in a bombproof
shelter.
His military training, an R. O. T. C.
course in college, he took because it excused
him from the gym course, and it was not
compulsory.
He belongs to such fraternal organiza-
tions and clubs as he wishes.
He adheres to a political party to the
extent that he desires the dominant one,
if that be his choice, but with the distinct
reservation that he may criticize any of its
policies with all the vigor which to him
seems proper-any other as his convictions
dictate, even, if it be his decision, one which
holds that the theory of government of the
country is wrong and should be scrapped.
He does not believe, if his party is out
of power, that the only way in which it can
come into power is through a bloody revolu-
tion.
He converses with friends, even with
chance acquaintances, expressing freely his
opinion on any subject, without fear.
He does not expect his mail to be open-
ed between posting and receipt, nor his tele-
phone to be tapped.
He changes his place of dwelling, and
does not report so doing to the police.
He has not registered with the police.
He carries an identification card only
in case he should be the victim of a traffic
accident.
He thinks of his neighbors across inter-
national borders--of those to the north as
though they were across a State line, rather
than as foreigners--of those to the south
more as strangers since they speak a lang-
uaage different from his, and with the know-
ledge that there are now matters of differ-
ence between his government and theirs, but
of neither with an expectancy of war.
He worships GOD in the fashion of his
choice, without let.
His children are with him in his home,
neither removed to a place of greater safe-
ty, if young, nor, if older, ordered to serve
the State with sacrifice of limb or life.
He has his problems, his troubles, his
uncertainties, but all others are not over-
shadowed by the imminence of battle and
sudden death.
He should struggle to preserve his
Americanism with its priceless privileges.
He is a fortunate man.
He is an American.-New York Sun.
What sub-type of article is it?
Constitutional
Press Freedom
Moral Or Religious
What keywords are associated?
American Freedoms
Civil Liberties
Patriotism
Constitutional Rights
Press Freedom
Religious Liberty
Political Expression
Privacy Rights
Wartime Contrasts
What entities or persons were involved?
New York Sun
Editorial Details
Primary Topic
Privileges And Freedoms Of American Citizenship
Stance / Tone
Patriotic Celebration Of American Liberties
Key Figures
New York Sun
Key Arguments
Curiosity Rather Than Fear Toward Airplanes
Purchases Limited Only By Personal Factors, Not Decrees
Well Lighted Streets Without Dim Blue Lighting
Newspaper Presents Honest Truth Without Bureaucratic Concoction
No Experience With Gas Masks Or Bombproof Shelters
Voluntary Military Training Via R.O.T.C.
Freedom To Join Fraternal Organizations And Clubs
Adherence To Political Party With Right To Criticize Policies
Belief In Democratic Change Without Bloody Revolution
Free Expression Of Opinions Without Fear
Privacy In Mail And Telephone Communications
Freedom To Change Residence Without Police Reporting
No Police Registration Or Mandatory Identification
Views Northern Neighbors As Across State Line, Southern As Strangers Without War Expectancy
Freedom To Worship God As Chosen
Children Remain At Home Without State Ordered Removal Or Sacrifice
Problems Not Overshadowed By Imminent Battle And Death
Exhortation To Preserve Americanism And Its Privileges