Page 23 - Voices November 2016
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High pitched yells, mingled with the shrieks of visualize that you are walking into your home town.
women and children echoed through the canyon Suddenly you discover that the high sounding ideals
– panic stricken women ran into the river only of Freedom and Equality have died. They who loved
to drown or be snatched and scalped alive. My you, now despise you refuse to serve you in your
grandfather and two companions escaped with local restaurant, or refuse to provide lodging in your
that memory. I can still see him shacking his hotel – little do they care if you are another Broker
fist and shouting the only good Indian is a dead T. Washington, or a George Washington Carver. So
Indian. remember, their feelings are just the same as ours.
The incident is 75 years old. Since that time our When you break their hearts and their spirit their
whole philosophy has changed. It was evident today grief is just as painful and their pride just as hurt.
that the Indian was fighting for self-preservation You can shoot a man at sunrise – burn him at
and you cannot deny any man that right. For that the stake – torture him with hot irons –kill him – he’ll
reason, and others, our feeling of prejudice toward die but one death. But subject that man to penal-
the American Indian has vanished. In only seventy ties of prejudice and he’ll die a thousand deaths.
five years our whole attitude has changed from America is a fabulous country. We can’t
hatred to one of Eulogy. begin to describe the vastness and opulence of
Will Rodgers was loved by all Americans. He our cities or the wealth of our people. We boast
was a sage, a statesman, a spokesman for the of the magnitude of our factories and our uncon-
common man a philosopher and an ambassador querable military might. Here we stand, the most
of laughter. He was that and more. He was a stupendous Democratic nation ever built. We’re
Cherokee Indian. Will Rodgers and thousands of still faced with the question. “How to live together
descendants of savagery like him have become in common unity with freedom for all.”
idols in American history and monuments have Tonight you have but one consideration – a
been built to their commemoration. There isn’t consideration of your convictions regarding this
one of you present tonight who wouldn’t accept question of prejudice. Consider carefully your atti-
an Indian into this gathering. tude toward this prejudice problem and ask yourself
But today, we are still trapped – trapped after this one question, - “What is the basis of my stand
20 centuries of Christian teaching and thousands on this all important matter.” I ask that you reach
of years of development and progress; - yes, we are deep in your hearts for the answer so that you can
trapped by misunderstanding and misapprehen- be sure - undeniably sure – that yours is a decision
sion. We have mastered many problems but we are based upon the axioms of truth and honesty. Then
still confronted with prejudice. So we continue to and only then, can you be sure – undeniably sure –
live in a world where man is neither free nor equal. that yours is a decision based upon the axioms of
Prejudice can become a vicious weapon. truth and honesty. Then and only then can you be
When I was in the navy, my friends and I saw many certain that seventy five years from tonight, your
signs which were captioned – “Dogs and Sailors not descendants will not have to lower their eyes in
allowed.” Those business men made it plain that shame for your conduct, as we do today because
the uniform was a mark of inferiority. They took of our past treatment of our first Americans.
the liberty to strip the military man of his dignity as Freedom and Equality are not words. They
an American – and a human-being. It’s just another are the scintillating gems that glitter and gleam in
story of men who are neither free nor equal. the crown of the Statue of Liberty. Carry high your
Prejudice enters into our lives in many ways. torch so that the Fire of Freedom will light up every
It creeps into our social life, our business dealings corner where men are now “Neither Free Nor Equal.”
– our search find a home and security. In fact it
affects the home life of everyone. Every mother in
this room this evening has at one time or another
suffered when you child returned from school There is nothing new in the world
broken-hearted – because someone made a sly except the history you do not know.
remark which stripped your child of his pride.
In this country there are people, who because
of race or creed are the recipients of that same Harry S Truman
kind of treatment every day of their lives. Just
change the color of your skin for this moment and
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