Show New Americans Compassionate A new generation of Americans Americans Americans Ameri Ameri- cans gifted with more compassion compassion compassion com com- passion and less egotism is needed to avert internal destruction in this country Dr Jack H. H Adamson declared declared declared de de- Saturday at the convocation convocation convocation cation of the College of Letters Letters Letters Let Let- and Science at the University University University Uni Uni- of Utah SPEAKING in the Special Events Center the well known English professor and former academic vice president told 1103 graduates their families and friends about the frustration frustration frustration tion of today's youth in its struggle for power to effect change The middle and older generations generations generations gen gen- carry the elections occupy the seats of power in incorporations incorporations incorporations corporations in churches inthe in inthe inthe the universities and especially in government Dr Adamson Adam- Adam son said THE LIVES of the younger generation are in escrow to tomen tomen tomen men whose experiences they shared share whose ori or- or have not ho i they cannot under under- stand Frustrated many youth now attack the dress styles of their elders he said refuse to operate co-operate with customs and laws and seem to prefer self- self destruction to acquiescence in inthe inthe inthe the larger destruction they see all around them IT IS inconceivable that we could ever have believed that a good scolding and a haircut haircut haircut hair hair- cut would somehow make it all right again Dr Adamson added Yet that is what we thought at first and some apparently still nourish that delusion The youth he continued find themselves at a moral impasse If they acquiesce in what they believe is wrong their own moral integrity is destroyed THIS MORAL dilemma must be removed he said Society must adopt goals and methods into which the younger young young- er generation can wholeheartedly whole heart edly throw their imagination their energies their idealism m. m And- And the machinery of society society so so- society must be so altered that the young may actually share in the processes of power If U that cannot be done we He e shall be doomed by our own inflexibility DR ADAMSON quoted the lines of John Milton's in which he asks England's guardian angel St. St Michael to Look homeward Angel now and melt with ruth that is with pity with com com- passion Historians added the convocation convocation convocation cation speaker are lucky because because because be be- cause they can look back and discover mistakes rectify errors errors errors er er- and write epitaphs Then Dr Adamson said if he were a future historian of America this is what he would like to tobe tobe tobe be able to write AMERICANS of the mid- mid twentieth century were large loud and sensate they had learned how to make and build and fight all of which had been necessary But a new American was needed one who knew how to give to feel and especially how to yield how to harness and tame all that assertiveness assertive- assertive ness all that egotistic energy that strove to make the world over into its own image THE AMERICANS had subdued subdued subdued sub sub- dued nature conquered disease disease disease dis dis- dis- dis ease and diminished space but there was something unlovely unlovely unlovely un un- lovely in their method something something something some some- thing that lacked gentleness gentle gentle- ness and silence They need need- ed a new and softer music of the inner life And that time there arose a new generation which turned away from the jungles of Asia and the deserts of the moon It was a generation generation generation gener gener- which looked homeward homeward homeward home home- with compassion ward |