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About The Georgia bulletin (Atlanta) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 22, 1968)
4 GEORGIA BULLETIN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 1968 Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan Publisher Christopher E. Eckl Managing Editor Rev. R. Donald Kiernan Consulting Editor 2699 Peachtree N.E. P.O. Box 11667 Northside Station Member of the Catholic Press Association and Subscriber to N.C.W.C. News Service Telephone 261-1281 Second Class Permit at Atlanta, Ga. Atlanta, Georgia 30305 U.S.A. $5.00 Canada $5.00 Foreign $6.50 Published Every Week at the Decatur - DeKalb News The opinions contained in these editorial columns are the free expressions of free editors in a free Catholic press. Rapid Evolution And Revolution Pope Paul’s trip to Bogota for the 39th Eucharistic Congress has thrown a spotlight on conditions in Latin America and the second general assembly of its bishops. During the 10-day assembly the bishops are expected to draft a program of pastoral action in keeping with the directives of the Second Vatican Council and the Pope’s encyclical, “The Development of Peoples.” And there is no group of men in the world which faces such a massive task. Most of the bishops are interested in developing their countries through evolution, not revolution. Their working document highlights the overwhelming problems they face: THIS Professional rock ‘n roll group, called “The Mind Garage,” is scheduled to appear at a special evening event during the annual Liturgical Week in Washington, D.C., Aug. 19 to 22. Music by “The Mind Garage” will accompany activities at a Rite of Reconciliation, which has been billed by The Liturgical Conference as a “colorful, psychedelic” presentation. (ENS) Population: Latin America’s population at the turn of the century was 73 million; 50 years later, 173 million; today, 258 million; and, if that pace continues, by the year 2000, it will be 690 million. Cultures: In many Latin American countries there are large groups of people who do not hold a Western type of European cultures-the Negro, the Indian, the mestizo and others. Before Latin America can be developed, these groups must be integrated into a stream of national life and enrich a common cultural heritage with their own contributions. Politics: Present political systems cannot meet the demands of a complex, growing continent because they were imported from Europe and never fitted properly the needs and aspirations of the people. A formal democracy, more than a real democracy, prevails in their lives. Economics: A lack of technological development, blind oligarchies and foreign business interests are blocking needed reforms by active resistance. A telling economic index is the average per-capita income in Latin America barely reaches $300 a year. Religion: There is a growing atheistic trend, a kind of humanistic atheism...Youth, and particularly students, and many workers do not see in the Church a bold instrument for change. Rarely has the Church been a proponent of revolution, but in Latin America it must support a rapid evolution. Without evolution, there will be revolution. Dutch Bishops Will Consult THE H AGUE, The Netherlands (NC) - After two meetings in recent weeks to discuss the implications for the Netherlands of Pope Paul Vi’s birth control encyclical, the Dutch bishops have decided to involve the laity in any decisions about their post-encyclical course. Accordingly they have asked the National Council on Marriage and Family Life to make recommendations. The council consists of Catholic experts in the fields of moral and fundamental theology, psychology, anthropology, sociology and medicine. GEORGIA PINES- Turn Those Glasses Around ' By R. Donald Kiernan ONE THING the Presidential campaigns are bringing to attention is the nation’s concern for law and order. It’s true that in our nation’s history that there has never been a time or age when law and order were so desperately needed as it is right now, and strangely enough there never has been a time when those guardians of the community were so unappreciated and underpaid. The first policeman I ever knew was a man by the name of Duffy in my hometown. He became the Chief of Police in Taunton, Mass., but even before he occupied this position he was respected and loved by the people. My first encounter with Mr. Duffy was when I was in the fifth grade. One of the boys in the neighborhood had received an air-rifle as a Christmas present. The boy and myself decided to try the rifle out on some pigeons. Someone called the police and right away Mr. Duffy called my home. Of course the answer was yes, and Jim McCormick, and myself were made to apologize to Mr. Duffy. The point at issue, or rather I should say the points at issue were these: First, Mr. Duffy knew the neighborhood so well, he could put his :finger, on the “culprits” right away. Then, our parents backed him up. We wouldn’t think of denying this and what’s more our parents didn’t demand a jury trial. As a matter of fact I had no jury trial as I was sent to bed without supper. I had brought disgrace on the family having had Mr. Duffy call our house. But times have changed, and while people seem to be encouraged to disobey and we expect the police to catch 20th century crooks with 19th century equipment we are more demanding of the policeman’s time and ability than ever before. I suspect that as those candidates “hit the trail” for law and order, little will be said and done about the policeman’s pay and the grass roots problem of seeking competent-recruits. EVEN IN the boon-docks the day has passed when the biggest and strongest man naturally fell into the job of the local constable. Every policeman today faces more danger than ever before. Yet, while he is loyal, brave, and self-less he is compensated little in proportion to other professions. Our technical age demands competent police skilled in many things. One false move on the part of a policeman can cause an expensive riot and loss of many lives. On the other hand, a prudent and wise policeman can save the community millions of dollars. It seems a paradox that while we demand and expect these qualities of a policeman, we pay him less than the boy who cuts our lawn. IN ADDITION, everyone expects the policeman to be perfect. He is not human. One mistake of a policeman can bring untold criticism on the whole department and yet while this one mistake is being retold, long unobserved are the hundreds of acts of bravery, kindness, charity and goodness practiced daily by the police. I’ve often wondered what a policeman thinks of us. If we view him through glasses we see a cigar-smoking cop, riding around town looking for someone to give a ticket to, mean and ugly. Turn those glasses around, and I would imagine he sees us as burglars, car thieves, embezzlers, and potential murderers. After all, our impression of the cop is imaginative; he has the record to prove what we are.
