government under the rule of law, then we must not stand by and let our moral standards be compro mised. Respect for law is also a moral obligation. Much of our trouble to day is caused by a growing num ber of persons who feel no obliga tion to respect the law and no legal responsibility to obey it. Belonging to divers groups and movements, these persons are clairvoyant and prolific on matters of liberty, free dom, and individual rights, but im patient and taciturn on the issues of responsibilities and established democratic processes. Their emo tions override their judgment and reasoning. Edmund Burke put it this way — “ The freedom of some is the freedom of the herd of swine that ran violently down a steep p lace in to the sea and were drowned. The only liberty that is valuable, is a liberty connected with order; that not only exists with or der and virtue, but which cannot exist at all without them.” To my mind, a big question for every American as we enter the 1970’s is whether he wants to sup port and defend our free society or let it be overrun and destroyed by visionary agitators, w he the r he wants to promote the cause of jus tice and order or give in to crime and chaos, and whether he wants to hold the line on decency and morality or let depravity and de generacy corrupt our populace. Let us make no mistake about it. Human dignity, individual values, civil rights, and freedom for all citizens cannot exist without order and self-discipline. We need disci pline to lift us above the baseness of indulgence, discipline to stand for right over wrong, discipline to uphold and preserve our ideals and principles of democracy, and dis cipline to respect and obey the law. Let those whose actions are in compatible with the freedoms of our society know that their rights and privileges end where the rights and privileges of others begin. ■ Reprinted from the FBI Law Enforce ment Bulletin, January, 1970.
I t was Patrick Henry who said, “ Bad men cannot make good citizens. It is impossible,” he add ed, “ that a nation of infidels or idolaters should be a nation of free men. . . . A vitiated state of morals, a corrupted public conscience, is incompatible with freedom.” I suggest there is a pertinent message for present-day Americans in Patrick Henry’s warning. As we move into a new decade, I feel we are being pressured by some be havioral excesses which are incom patible with our continued freedom. Certainly, a free society is not free from difficulties, but it must be relatively free from weaknesses such as moral decadence and dis respect for law if it is to survive. Moral decadence and disrespect for law thrive when self-discipline is weak. In a society of free men, there must be an abundance of personal integrity and discipline. We need only to look back at the 1960’s to see what has been hap pening to our moral standards. For the past several years our citizens have been baraged with un
bridled vulgarity, obscenity, blas phemy, perversion, and public des ecration of our cherished ideals and symbols. Although strong protests have been made from portions of our concerned citizenry, for the most part these degrading and de basing activities are increasing. Immorality is becoming more of the rule than the exception. In the face of these perplexing conditions, many citizens are prac tically moral cowards. Afraid of be ing labeled puritanical or “ square,” they tolerate and condone acts and habits which they know are morally wrong but which they do not have the courage to denounce and op pose. This is unfortunate, because they fail themselves, their children, and their country. Where morality and decency are concerned, Americans must not let rationalization and doubletalk con fuse them. There is nothing enlight ening, enduring, or p rog ress ive about degeneracy. No great nations or stable societies have ever been built-on false morality. If we value our country and our system of self
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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