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Show Do We Believe? By RUTH TAYLOR Do we believe in Democracy? I I know what the answer would j be from any one. "Of course we( do. What are we fighting for, if not for the right to follow the democratic way of life'.-" But how are we proving our belief? We let democracy become be-come endangered because we gave it only lip service. We did not jive to it the fanaticism of the Nazi, the devotion of the Communist, Com-munist, the ardor of the Fascist, if we had. Democracy would have swept the woild and men would today be living in a brotherhood of nations. We say Democracy is the rule of the majority. But how often have we tried to get around a ruling in which we did not believe? be-lieve? We say Democracy is a way of equal opportunity for all, but how often have we, with smug satisfaction in our own gTOup, looked upon all other groups in our country with suspicion, generalizing gen-eralizing upon them, and condemning con-demning wholesale because of the actions of a few? We say that Democracy is built upon a belief in God upon the right of religious freedom. Yet. all toe often, we scorn our neighbor because his belief is not like unto curs. We do not even ' follow our own creeds, though, we would fight for the right to 'believe In them. We should remember that Germany fell when the German people forgot for-got God. We say we believe in Democracy. Democ-racy. Now we have a chance to prove its worth, for in these days we can show once and for all whether freedom of speech and expression have inculcated a rtp-.irH frtr TRTTR soeech and ex- pTession; whether free education has. taught - us how to think; whether freedom of assembly has taught us how to work together in cooperation; whether freedom of . enterprise hps fostered individual indi-vidual growth; whether freedom of government has built up the capabilities of the self-governed; and whether, under , freedom of religion, our faith has blossomed forth into a mighty tree that can protect us from the storm. Do we believe in Democracy? Only you can give the answer. |