ustxtxb_obs_1963_06_14_50_00009-00000_000.pdf

ni11 MORE FOREIGN FLAGS vEp, EXAS against-darkness theory, and a greater inclination than has heretofore been shown to be equally critical of one’s own country and that of whichever country happens to be the “official” enemy of the moment. FOOTNOTES 1.Bertrand Russell: Common Sense and NuSimon and Schuster, New York, 1959. 2.George F. Kennan, Russia and the West Mentor, New York, 1962. 3.James P. Warburg, “Opportunity in Berlin,” The Progressive, Sept., 1961. 4.Isaac Deutscher, The Great Contest: Russia and the West Books, New York, 1961. 5.Robert J. Lampman, The Share of TopWealth Holders in National Wealth, 1922-1956, Princeton \(as quoted by Dwight Mac6.Dwight Macdonald, “Our Invisible Poor,” The New Yorker, January 19, 1963. 7.James S. Coleman, “A Future Without Jobs,” The Nation, May 25, 1963. 8.Isaac Deutscher, I.c. 9.George Feifer, “Soviet Fathers and Sons,” The New Republic, June 1, 1963. 10.Sidney Lens, “The Politics of Stalemate,” The Progressive, May, 1963. Rep. Howard Green, Fort Worth, whose fight against the Senate-passed bill to ban the United Nations flag from state and public school buildings resulted in the bill’s defeat, has received heavy mail on the issue, mainly from Fort Worth, but also from west Texas and Houston. It has run about six to one against his stand; much of it has a fierce, accusative quality. As reported last issue, Green condemned the bill as an effort of “the lunatic fringe” to slap at the U.N. and embarass Vice President Lyndon Johnson, who recently had U.N. delegates as guests at his ranch. Many of those who wrote Green took umbrage at what they construed to be his suggestion that they are lunatics. Many explicitly or indirectly questioned his patriotism; many called the U.N. communist and its flag “the flag of the enemy.” Some who wrote supporting him vowed to work for his re-election-but so did some of those criticizing him. Two correspondents sent him a clipping showing the U.S. and U.N. flags flying side by side and the Texas flag underneath them at Johnson’s ranch during the U.N. delegates’ visit. While the letters of support were typed or written in generally calm and orderly ways, more than half the citizens who wrote against the U.N. flag did not seem, from their communications, calm, but rather were highly wrought up. At random, the Observer here excerpts from some of the anti-U.N. letters to Green, giving a separate paragraph to the excerpt from each letter : “I guess you must be hoping for a powerful position in the new communist government when we lose our country.” “[You should not represent] the international conspiracy, the anti-Christ, communist-controlled U.N., and its rag.” “I thirik your expression was undemo 11.c.f. Ronnie Dugger, “The Legislature: An Afterview,” The Texas Observer, May 30, 1963. 12.Jacques Fauvet, La France Dechiree, Librairie Artheme Fayard, Paris, 1957. 13.Dr. Gabriel Kolko, Wealth and Power in America, Praeger \(cited by Macdonald in 14.Isaac Deutscher, 1.c. 15.Alfred M. Bingham, “Soviet Experiments in Democracy, A Report of a Trip to the U.S.S.R. in 1962,” Council for Correspondence Newsletter, Oct. 10, 1962. 16.Erich Fromm, May Man Prevail?, \(paperYork, 1961. 17.c.f. Linus Pauling, “Genetic Effects of Weapons Tests,” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, December, 1962. Says Pauling: “The total estimated gentic effects \(num-. bers of viable children with gross physical or mental defect and of embryonic, neonatal, and childhood deaths over all future 600 is the following: from radioactive fallout, and from carbon-14, 16 million \(range 320,range the first generation.” 18.c.f. Fred Cook, “The Current Society,” Special Issue of the Nation, June 1-8, 1963. cratic and unbecoming of a good American.” “I despise the U.N. because it has brought nothing but shame, strife, and useless bloodshed to my country. I can remember with pride when we went to war for a few kidnapped seamen. Until we got into the U.N., we never lost a victory.” “Does not the idea of One World Government, as advocated by the U.N., chill your American blood?” “U.N. is not a peace organization but a world goy, run by the REDS and our money!” “The Constitution and Bill of Rights [was] subverted by Harry S. Truman and 89 U.S. senators who were the Traitors that created the BLACKEST DAY OF INFAMY IN THE HISTORY OF OUR NA-TION.” “Great men like General Walker etc. that defend our great United States and attack the U.N. and communist organizations are often ‘smeared’ by the communists and their fellow travelers. I have never heard your name ‘smeared’ once.” “I do not want a flag which in my way represents the bloody, criminal communist or any other uncivilized barbarians flying near the flag of America or of Texas.” “Every communist and liberal ‘lunatic’ in the state will come to your rescue.” “If you are so determined to aid -and abet Russia why don’t you live there instead of in this wonderful country ???” “I also resent the vice president of the U.S.A. rolling out the red carpet to that gang of red [U.N.] delegates. Any school who flies that dirty rag should be thrown out on their ear.” “It’s just as well to appease us as it is for your group to appease Russia.” “Critics that yell the loudest about the so called lunatic fringe usually turn out to be the Benedict Arnolds and the turncoats.” “We are persuaded to believe that you people are mentally ill and need help. So I suggest you take some good old ChristianAmerican, God-believing, and freedom-loving treatment. After a few good lessons in patriotism, and a pledge to the only flag of our country, the Stars and Stripes, you will, with the help of God, become rational again.” “Remember a communist traitor was the architect of the U.N., Alger Hiss.” “NO ONE in this day in time makes the statements you did defending the treasonable actions of F.D.R., H.S.T., Ike, Marshall, and all the rest of the International Socialist combine unless they are hopelessly ignorant, OR, unless they themselves are a part of this same club. … You are either for, or against, commUNism; and the U.N. was conceived by commUNists, and operated by and for the benefit of commUNists; so all of you debaters had bloody-well better make up your minds which side you are on in this war to the death-that of Christianity, or that of atheistic commUNism. There is no middle ground, and he who tries to straddle the fence will be abominated.” “That U.N. in New York makes me sick.” “Some that are not fanatics had rather see the U.N. flag in the gutter than to be hanging by our necks from a lamp pole.” “If [my] views are what you call those of the lunatic fringe, I am happy to be a member of that patriotic group-and not a traitor or a betrayer of an oath of office.” “You display the backbone of a red wiggler. Anyone that has so much yellow cur in him that he cannot be patriotic is like the cur that bites the hand that feeds him. [You are] a comrade of the other traitors that are operating at the head of our gov’t. in Washington. You should be sleeping with that traitor in the White House. You are both too low down for words.” And finally: “Perhaps you may think of me as an extreme right wing nut, a self-styled patriot, a hate monger, etc. But just remember one thing. I will be there when the voting lines open.” Most of the pro-U.N. letters Green received were straightforward appreciations of his stand and his fortitude in taking it. Some of them came from Texas Christian University students. One of Green’s constituents wrote him about the stir he had created, “I have a feeling that these .paranoid patriots are more noisy than numerous. However, they are able to scare a lot of people.” Writing back to accept the man’s offer to work for him door to door, Green said: “Some of the letters have been so vile, irrational, and intemperate as to shock a sense of decency and common sense. Some of these people are in need of treatment.” June 14, 1963 9 Rep. Green’s U.N. Mail