The Tribune

Roanoke Dentist Finds Little In Republican and Democratic Planks For Negroes
In this enlightening day and age, intelligent people should not have to make a plea for freedom and understanding.

When the Republican and the Democratic Planks of the 1952 Conventions are placed under the microscope for study by the Negro, I find little or nothing in either of them as a promise or pledge toward abolishing segregation, prejudice or improving the Negro's economic condition.

It is my conscientious belief that we should wait and see what will develop before committing ourselves.

Looking at both planks from an unbiased microscopic view it does seem that the Democratic plank is the best of the worst, which is no compliment to either the Republicans or the Democrats.

The bare facts are these: Our rights are guaranteed under the Constitution of the United States, a document revered in its entirety by all Americans, which is more than one hundred and fifty years old.

The Constitution was not written without due consideration for all races and creeds. This instrument was conceived and written by the thirteen States because each state realized that separated they were weak, but united they were strong.

In order to have a strong United States, it was necessary for each State to give and take on some issues to perfect this wonderful instrument which is our Constitution.

A greater document had never been conceived before or since by any people. If every American would live up to the letter and spirit of the Constitution, there would not be any need for FEPC or any complaint of segregation and prejudice, for it plainly stated in the Constitution that all people, regardless of race or creed, are created equal and are to be treated so; therefore any abridgement of the rights guaranteed all people under our Constitution should be corrected by the Federal Government.

I concur with Bishop Archibald J. Carey who spoke before the Republican Convention in Chicago in July. He made this statement and I quote: "The Negro wants no special treatment; no special seats on any special train or bus; no special schools etc. What does the Negro want? He simply wants the same things that everyone else wants. He wants to be treated like any other human being, no more, no less."

If the people of our great country could find the grace of God in their hearts to comply with God's second commandment, "Love thy neighbor with all thy heart and treat him as you would like to be treated," there would be no friction over FEPC or any other rights.

I listened to Vice President Barkley as he spoke before the Democratic Convention in the same city. He related a most heart-warming story of how he sat in the front line trenches of Korea on a Thanksgiving Day eating with a Negro soldier on either side. I listened to Mr. Barkley praise those Negro soldiers for their valor and wish that his people back home, who were striking, etc., could have just a little of the courage of those Negro soldiers.

My wish was for white and colored men who would sit down, not under fire but in peace, and settle our differences without thought of race, creed, or color. If it can

be done in Korea under fire, it can be done in America under peaceable conditions.

The fowls of the air are not segregated; yet we do not find the sparrow running with the hawk, or a black bird with a crow. There is no law that says one American white man cannot associate with another, but do we find them all associating with each other? The same is true with the Negroes. We do not all associate with each other, and even so, if there were no segregation laws to separate the races, we would not have the worry we think we would have. People associate with whom they want to associate. If this whole thing were left alone, water would seek its own level and birds of a feather would flock together.

God, through Jesus Christ, gave the world the greatest Christian principles we have ever known, but He does not force them upon any man. This surely should be a lesson to all human beings. As much as we dislike segregation, prejudice and all other forms of mistreatment, it may be that we cannot force these ideas on anyone. Let us continue to pray for our neighbors and ourselves that we may someday be reconciled and make of these United States the foremost nation that we think it is--a nation that is truly united; a nation that really believes in the Four Freedoms for all people; a nation, as the "Pledge of Allegiance" teaches, "A nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all; a nation that believes in the teachings of Jesus Christ as handed down by God himself, that we are our brother's keeper."

It is my earnest prayer that the day is not too far in the distant future that intelligent men of all races will be able to consider any situation that might confront them without regard to race, creed or color.

DR. L. E. PAXTON.
16 Wells Avenue, N. W.
Roanoke, Virginia