Newspaper Page Text
CHSTMl
SEA F888 {'SET
ALL KINDS OF SEA FOODS
PHONE HE. 2-7457 230 TARVER AVE.
ALBANY. GA.
THE BULLETIN, December IS, 1958—PAGE 5
DISCRIMINATOIN AND CHRISTIAN CONSCIENCE
ILQAVFJT
PBESStffIBS SHOP
Phone HE. 5-8351 Albany, Ga.
210 Pine Avenue
"Say It With Ours"
HADDEN S FLOWERS
and GIFTS
Telephone HE. 5-8374 P. O. Box 1980
1150 S. Slappey Dr.
Albany, Georgia
BISHOP LAUNDRY
& CLEANERS
232 ROOSEVELT AVENUE
ALBANY, GEORGIA
Best Wislies
Standard Plumbing
and Heating Company
406 ROOSEVELT AVE.
PHONE HE. 2-1901
ALBANY, GEORGIA
P. O. BOX 1107
Best Wislies
From
DUPREE
PRIM
Where Pharmacy Is A Profession
1111 No. Slappey Dr. Phene HE. 6-5736
ALBANY, GEORGIA
Best Wislies
SLAPPEY DRIVE
SUPER MARKET
318 S. Slappey Drive
ALBANY, GEORGIA
Statement Of If. S. Bishops
Given At Washington ieeting
Fifteen years ago, when this
nation was devoting its energies
to a world war designed to
maintain human freedom, the
Catholic Bishops of the United
States issued a prayerful warn
ing to their fellow citizens. We
called for the extension of full
freedom within the confines of
our beloved country. Specifical
ly, we noted the problems faced
by Negroes in obtaining the
rights that are theirs as Ameri
cans. The statement of 1943 said
in part:
In the Providence of God
there are among us millions of
fellow citizens of the Negro
race. We owe to these fellow
citizens, who have contributed
so largely to the development
of our country, and for whose
welfare history imposes on us a
special obligation of justice, to
see that they have in fact the
rights which are given them in
our Constitution. This means not
only political equality, but also
fair economic and educational
opportunities, a just share in
public welfare projects, good
housing without exploitation,
and a full chance for the social
advancement of their race.
In the intervening years, con
siderable progress was made in
achieving these goals. The Ne
gro race, brought to this coun
try in slavery, continued i t s
quiet but determined march
toward the goal of equal rights
and equal opportunity. During
and after the Second World War,
great and even spectacular ad
vances were made in the obtain
ing of voting rights, good edu
cation, better-paying jobs, and
adequate housing. Through the
efforts of men of good will, of
every race and creed and from
all parts of the nation, the bar
riers of prejudice and discrimi
nation were slowly but inevit
ably eroded. Because this meth
od of quiet conciliation produc
ed such excellent results, we
have preferred the path of ac
tion to that of exhortation. Un
fortunately, however, it appears
that in recent years the issues
have become confused and the
march toward justice and equal
ity has been .slowed if not halt
ed in some areas. The transcend
ent moral issues involved have
become obscured, and possibly
forgotten.
Our nation now stands divid
ed by the problem of compul
sory segregation of the races and
the opposing demand for racial
justice. No region of our land
is immune from strife and di
vision resulting from this prob
lem. In one area, the key issue
may concern the schools. In an
other it may be conflicts over
housing. Job discrimination may
be the focal point in still other
sectors. But all these issues have
one main point in common.
They reflect the determination
of our Negro people, and we
hope the overwhelming majori
ty of our white citizens, to see
that our colored citizens obtain
their full rights as given to them
by God, the creator of all, and
guaranteed by the democratic
traditions of our nation.
There are many facets to the
problems raised by the quest
for racial justice. These are is
sues of law, of history, of eco
nomics, and of sociology. There
are questions of procedure and
technique. There are conflicts
in cultures. Volumes have been
written on each of these phases.
Their importance we do not
deny. But the time has come, in
our considered and prayerful
judgment, to cut- through the
maze of secondary or less essen
tial issues and to come to the
heart of the problem. The heart
of the race question is moral
and religious. It concerns the.
rights of man and our attitude
toward our fellow man. If our
attitude is governed by the great
Christian law of love of neigh
bor and respect for his rights,
then we can work out harmon
iously the techniques for mak
ing legal, educational, economic,
and social adjustments. But if
our hearts are poisoned by hat
red, or even by indifference
toward the. welfare and rights
of our fellow men, then our na
tion faces a grave internal cris-
AAA CONCRETE
PRODUCTS DORP.
1190 Sylvester Road
Dial HEmlock 5-4454 P. O. Box 761
ALBANY, GEORGIA
JOHNSTON
MEN S SHOP
CORNER PINE & COURT AVENUE
ALBANY, GEORGIA
ESTATE OF
SAMUEL FARMS
Established 1872
COLE FARM IMPLEMENTS & GENERAL LINE
OF FARMERS HARDWARE
112-114 Broad Avenue Albany, Georgia
Charles W. Samford, General Manager
Phone HE, 6-1323 P. O. Box 1185
1106 Gordon Ave. — Albany, Georgia
SAMCfi STEEL
& SUPPLY COMPANY
1106 Gordon Ave.
Albany, Ga.
No one who bears the name of
Christian can deny the universal
love of God for all mankind.
When Our Lord and Savior, Jes
us Christ, “took on the form of
man” (Phil 2, 7) and walked
among men, He taught as the
first two laws of life the love of
God and the love of fellow man.
“By this shall all men know
that you are my disciples, that
you have love, one for the oth
er.” (John 13, 35). He offered
His life in sacrifice for all man
kind. His parting mandate to
His followers was to “teach all
nations.” (Mat. 28, 19).
Our Christian faith is of its
nature universal. It knows not
the distinctions of race, color,
or nationhood. The missionaries
of the Church have spread
throughout the world, visiting
with equal impartiality nations
such as China and India, whose
ancient cultures antedate the
coming qf the Savior, and the
primitive tribes of the Ameri
cans. The Love of Christ, and
the love of the Christian, knows
no bounds. In the words of Pope
Pius XII, addressed to American
Negro publishers 12 years ago,
“All men are brothered in Jesus
Christ; for He, through God, be
came also man, became a mem
ber of the human family, a bro
ther of all.” (May 27, 1946)
Even those who do not accept
our Christian tradition should
at least acknowledge that God
has implanted in the souls of all
men some knowledge of the nat
ural moral law and a respect
for its teachings. Reason alone
taught philosophers through the
ages respect for the sacred dig
nity of each human being and
the fundamental rights of man.
Every man has an equal right
to life, to justice before the law,
to marry and rear a family un
der human conditions, and to an
aquitable opportunity to use the
goods of this earth for his needs
and those of his family.
From these solemn truths,
there follow certain conclusions
vital for a proper approach to
the problems that trouble us to
day. First, we must repeat the
principles — embodied in our
Declaration of Independence —
that all men are equal in the
sight of God. By equal we mean
that they are created by God
and redeemed by His Divine
Son, that they are bound by His
law, and that God desires them
as His friends in the eternity of
heaven. This fact confers upon
all men human dignity and hu
man rights.
Men are unequal in talent and
achievement. They differ in cul
ture and personal characteris
tics. Some are saintly, some
seem to be evil, most are men
of good will, though beset with
human frailty. On the basis of
personal differences we may
distinguish among our fellow
men, remembering always the
admonition: “Let him who is
without sin . . . cast the first
stone . . (Jn., 8, 7). But dis
crimination based on the acci
dental fact of race or color, and
as such injurious to human
rights regardless of personal
qualities or achievements, can
not be reconciled with the truth
that God has created all men
with equal rights and equal dig
nity.
Secondly, we are bound to
love our fellow man. The Chris
tian love we bespeak is not a
matter of emotional likes or dis
likes. It is a firm purpose to do
good to all men, to the extent
that ability and opportunity per
mit.
Among all races and national
groups, class distinctions are in
evitably made on the basis of
like-mindedness or a commun
ity of interests. Such distinctions
are normal and .constitute a uni
versal social phenomenon. They
are accidental, however, and are
subject to change as conditions
'change. It is unreasonable and
injurious to the rights of others
that a factor such as race, by
and of itself, should be made a
cause of discrimination and a
basis for unequal treatment in
our mutual relations.
The question then arises: can
enforced segregation be recon
ciled with the Christian view of
our fellow man? In our judg
ment it cannot, and this for two
fundamental reasons.
1) Legal segregation, or any
form of compulsory segregation,
in itself and by its very nature
imposes a stigma of inferiority
upon the segregated people.
Even if the now obsolete court
doctrine of “separate but equal”
had been carried out to the full
est extent, so that all public and
semi-public facilities were in
fact equal, there is nonetheless
the judgment that an entire
race, by the sole fact of race and
regardless of individual quali
ties, is not fit to associate on
equal terms with members of
another race. We cannot recon
cile such a judgment with the
Christian view of man’s nature
and rights. Here again it is ap
propriate to cite the language
of Pope Pius XII: “God did not
create a human family made up
of segregated, dissociated, mu
tually independent members.
No; He would have them all
united by the bond of total love
of Him and consequent self
dedication to assist each oth
er to maintain that bond intact.”
(September 7, 1956).
2) It is a matter of historical
fact that segregation in our
country has led to oppressive
conditions and the denial of ba
sic human rights for the Negro.
This is evident in the fundamen
tal fields of education, job op
portunity, and housing. Flowing
from these areas of neglect and
discrimination are problems of
health and the sordid train of
evils so often associated with
the consequent slum conditions.
Surely Pope Pius XII must have
had these conditions in mind
when he said just two months
ago: “It is only too well known,
alas, to what excesses pride of
race and racial hate can lead. The
Church has always been ener
getically opposed to attempts of
genocide of practices arising
from what is called the ‘color
bar’.” (September 5, 1958.)
One of the tragedies of racial
oppression is that tire evils we
have cited are being used as
excuses to continue the very
conditions that so strongly fos
tered such evils. Today we are
told that Negroes, Indians, and
also some Spanish speaking
Americans differ too much in
culture and achievements to be
assimilated in our schools, fac
tories, and neighborhoods. Some
decades back the same charge
was made against the immigrant
Irish, Jewish, Italian, Polish,
Hungarian, German, Russian. In
both instances differences were
used by some as a basis for dis
crimination and even for bigot
ed ill-treatment. The immigrant,
fortunately, has achieved his
rightful status in the American
community. Economic opportun
ity was wide open and educa
tional equality was not denied
to him. Negro citizens seek these
same opportunities. They wish
an education that does not carry
with it any stigma of inferiority.
They wish economic advance
ment based on merit and skill.
They wish their civil rights as
American citizens. They wish
acceptance based upon proved
ability and achievement. No one
who truly loves God’s children
will deny them this opportuni
ty. To work for this principle
amid passions and misunder
standings will not be easy It
will take courage. But quiet and
persevering courage has always
been the mark of a true follower
of Christ.
We urge that concrete plans
in this field be based on pru
dence. Prudence may be called a
virtue that inclines us to view
problems in their proper per
spective. It aids us to use the
proper means to secure our aim.
The problems we inherit to
day are rooted in decades, even
centuries, of custom and cul
tural patterns. Changes in deep-
rooted attitudes are not made
overnight. When we are con
fronted with complex and far-
reaching evils, it is not a sign
of weakness or timidity to dis
tinguish among remedies and
reforms. Some changes are more
necessary than others. Some are
relatively easy to achieve. Oth
ers seem impossible at this time.
What may succeed in one area
may fail in another.
It is a sign of wisdom, rather
than weakness, to study care
fully the problems we face, to
prepare for advances, and to by
pass the non-essential if it in
terferes with essential progress.
We may well deplore a gradual
ism that is merely a cloak for in
action. But we equally deplore
rash impetuosity that would
sacrifice the achievements of
decades in ill-timed and ill-con
sidered ventures. In concrete
matters we distinguish between
prudence and inaction by asking
the question: are we sincerely
and earnestly acting to solve
these problems? We distinguish
between prudence and rashness
by seeking the prayerful and
considered judgment of experi
enced counselors who have
achieved success in meeting sim
ilar problems.
For this reason we hope and
earnestly pray that responsible
and sober-minded Americans oi
all religious faiths, in all areas '
of our land, will seize the mantle
of leadership from the agitator
and the racist. It is vital that we
act now and act decisively. All
must act quietly, courageously,
and prayerfully before it is too
late.
For the welfare of our nation
we call upon all to root out from
their hearts bitterness and hat
red. The tasks we face are in
deed difficult. But hearts in
spired by Christian love will sur
mount these difficulties.
Clearly, then, these problems
are vital and urgent. May God
give this nation the grace to
meet the challenge it faces. For
the sake of generations of future
Americans, and indeed of all hu
manity, we cannot fail.
TWO
LOCATIONS
Decatur
mckinney blog
and
Atlanta
By MED ARTS
BLDG.
Opticians
i
Kalish & Ainsworth
542 CHURCH ST
380 P’TREE ST.. NE
DR. 3-7903
JA. 3-5033
CLERICAL
Wear Headquarters
DAN HITE
"Will Fit You Right"
801 N. Capitol St.
Washington 2, D. C.
STerling 4-2284
(J3eit WU
T”1
From
SANS - SOUCI
HEMLOCK 2-0584
610 NORTH WASHINGTON
ALBANY. GEORGIA
JOHN H. BR05NAN
DAN J. BROSNAN