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Official Organ Of the Slavonic Benevolent Order Of The State Of Texas. Founded 1897. BENEVOLENCE
VOLUME 56 — NO. 12
HUMANITY
BROTHERHOOD
Postmaster: Please Send Form 3579 with Undeliverable Copies to: SUPREME LODGE SPJST, FOB 100, TEMPLE, TEX. 76501
IVIARCH 20, 1968
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER Freedom of Thought and Expression. The struggle for human liberty that took place throughout Europe and in America in the 18th Century was led by men who realized that the power of thought and expression were powerful tools with which man could better his conditions. Man must be free to think and express his thoughts without fear, and to exchange ideas with other men. This freedom must not be restricted to a privileged few. It must be made available to the many. The great thinkers of the Age of Reason in Europe like Voltaire, Diderot, and Rouseau, and in America Jefferson, Thomas Paine, Adams, and others, insisted that all men possessed the power of rational thought and could, if free from arbitrary interference, use that power together for their mutual benefit. Never was a more sublime faith expressed and accepted in history. The foundations of our American freedom are based on the conviction that if men are truly free they can be trusted, in the long run, to make choices and decisions which will mutually benefit them all. There have always been, and always will be, people who fear that faith.
THOUGHTS . Most peo ple are happier than the reformers and philosophers who are trying to lead them out of their misery. The pleasantest things in the world are pleasant thoughts, and the great art of life is to have as many of them as possible. It is futile to demand respect; you must earn it. They do not dare trust the minds, good will, and consciences of ordinary people to that extent. However, after 150 years of historical, governmental, and social experience, it is now abundantly clear that the society that carefully guards the rights of individuals, encourages independent thought among its citizens, earnestly disseminates knowledge among the people about their mutual interests, respects their varied opinions and desires, is a stronger more creative and resilient society than one which is directed by the authority of a few — no matter how competent, well-informed, and well-intentioned those few may be. The "Light of Reason" has burned, fitfully around the world in the last 40 or 50 years. Wars have engulfed portions of the world to such an extent
that the voice of reason could scarcely be heard. People everywhere came to regard independent thought and refusal to knuckle under to oppressive authority as a crime. The person who thinks for himself is often termed an "egghead." The ultimate end of such a process is best described in George Orwell's novel "1984." In the Orwellian scheme of things, private thought becomes a crime and the distinction between falsehood and truth becomes completely obliterated by the everpresent "Big Brother" state. When there is no accepted standard of truth and no test to determine truth, whoever has the power makes his own truth and forces it upon others. While it is true that we live by deep emotional drives and hungers, it is also true that blind impulses, emotional shock treatments, irrational fears and hatreds are no substitutes for the orderly processes of thought and action, and can lead us into loss of freedom, objectivity, and even sanity. The Light of Reason must continue to burn ... ♦ • Permanent and Term Insurance. The main reason why you have life insurance or any other kind of insurance is for protection against serious financial loss. The basic function of life insurance is to protect your fam-