A PLEA FOR UNDERSTANDING

This Short Talk Bulletin has been adapted from a talk given to Walton 
Lodge No. 559, Walton, New York, by a Past Master of that Lodge who 
served as Director of Ceremonies (1974) in the Grand Lodge of New 
York, R. W. Brother Fordham D. Tabor. We thank R. W. Brother Tabor 
for his permission to use this material as a Short Talk Bulletin.

A young college student visited one of his former high school 
teachers asking that he participate in a survey that the college was 
conducting. His former teacher was flattered and readily agreed. The 
first question, "What do you consider the most serious problem facing 
our society today",  started the wheels of the teacher's mind in 
motion. Just for a fleeting moment, he recalled the story of the 
young man who had asked a sage, "What can I do to make this a better 
world?" To which the sage replied,
"Reform yourself, and there will then be one less scoundrel in the 
world." But, no, this young fellow doesn't deserve a flippant 
answer....

"The most serious problem" ....! There are a number of problems that 
readily come to mind. The fuel crisis, inflation, the abusive use of 
drugs, the racial struggle going on all over the land, the battle 
against pollution of our environment, the rebellion of so many of our 
people, both young and old, against established rules and morals, the 
trend toward violence in our streets, the hippie and yippie 
movements, the growing lack of respect for our flag and for the 
rights of others, the economic crisis; these were some which came 
immediately to mind. To choose the most serious was another matter
entirely. As he thought about these and other problems, attempting to 
classify them by degree as to seriousness and importance, one element 
was the lack of mutual understanding of the problems of others. The 
problems are readily apparent to us, for we are confronted with them 
daily in the newspapers, on radio and television, in our own 
communities, perhaps in our own families. But how well do we 
understand the people involved, their backgrounds, their ideas, the 
thoughts that make them do as they do? This lack of mutual 
understanding between peoples with differing ideas seems to be the 
most serious problem facing our society today, not only in the United 
States, but all over the
world.

The years-long and on-going struggle between Democracy and Communism 
is engendered by basic differences in political ideology. Even in 
times of apparent peace the struggle goes on under the surface, 
erupting periodically in "Koreas" and "Vietnams." The long-standing 
attempts of racial, ethnic and religious minority groups to attain 
full recognition of their ideals, to gain equality of treatment and 
to end discrimination against themselves, has reached full-blown 
proportions today. Tragically, the trend is toward all kinds of 
violence to attract attention to their causes and to force
acceptance of their goals.

The dissatisfaction of young people with our society as they find it, 
and their search for some way to change it, for some way out of the 
commonplace, has caused increasing numbers to experiment with all 
kinds of drugs, often casually at first, then with increasing 
frequency until the user is completely dependent upon his daily 
doses. New York City, with over 100,000 drug addicts, is a startling 
illustration of the depth and the scope of the problem. Many other 
cities and even rural communities, both in America and elsewhere in 
the world, present a similar picture, if not in numbers, at least in 
the percentage of the population using drugs, with an attendant rise 
in violence. In spite of the
publicity about contamination and pollution of our environment and 
natural resources, we see
people casually throwing all kinds of trash and garbage in the 
streets and on our highways, we
see the chimneys of industrial plants spewing their noxious fumes 
into the air, and we see raw
sewage and other wastes dumped into our streams.

Today all over the world there is a moral decay through the common 
acceptance of pornography, licentiousness and sexual freedom as a way 
of life, almost to the point that we are reminded of the moral decay 
which preceded the fall of the great Roman Empire. We can read daily 
in almost any newspaper in the world of the violation of someone's 
rights through murder, rape, robbery, mugging, or through 
discrimination in employment and housing, or through betrayal of 
trust, both in private industry and in the public domain.

As we examine those and other problems facing us, one common fact 
stands out -- people generally, are all for themselves first. What 
any man wants, he strives to attain by any means available, without 
regard for anyone else. There is little, if any, thought for the 
ideas, wants and needs of another. While we call this selfishness, it 
is really caused by a lack of understanding.

There are exceptions, of course, to this picture. Americans working 
under the banner of the Peace Corps in many countries trying to help 
people better their way of life. Members of the Salvation Army who 
are dedicated to lives of service in helping others. Nameless 
volunteers in many countries working for better communities. 
Outstanding individuals such as Dr. Billy Graham who is constantly 
seeking to awaken people to the need for understanding each other 
through preaching the lessons of
tolerance and brotherly love. The list of these people is long, too 
long, for enumeration here. When we hear of these people we are 
reminded of a ray of brilliant sunshine peering through dark clouds, 
that there is hope for a way to solve our problems.

As Masons, we, too, have our part to play. Freemasonry teaches us 
many great and glorious lessons. We have all learned the precepts of 
brotherly love and of finding our way through life by the light we 
find in that Great Light we place on our Altars. As we participate in 
the several degrees of our Order, we experience great truths, we 
learn lessons in many areas. So many lessons, in fact, that many of 
us become confused by their very multitude. Yet, if we will only 
search our memories and experiences, we will recall one great thought 
appearing in every lesson, weaving through the entire Masonic
ritual like a golden thread in a tapestry, shining forth like a 
blazing beacon over the stormy waters of the sea. That great thought 
is Brother-hood, with all that the name implies.

To be a brother to a man means, among other things, basically to 
understand him. We cannot accept a man as our brother unless we are 
willing to understand him. Oh, we can call him "Brother," but to be a 
brother in truth we must understand him, we must be willing to see 
and overlook his transgressions, to applaud his successes as our own, 
to enfold him in our arms and make him a part of ourselves. And we 
must want him to do the same to us, for Brotherhood is not a one-way 
street. No man is willing to
give of himself forever without receiving something in return. And 
yet, if we will make the initial move, perhaps some little action, 
perhaps only a cheery word of greeting, which will show him that we 
do care about him, that we respect his rights as an individual, and 
that we understand his needs, he will usually respond and we can both 
walk that greatest of roads, that highway of Brotherhood, which is 
paved with mutual understanding and respect.

As Masons, we recognize that with every right, whether it be human, 
civil or moral, there are also certain obligations and duties to 
which we are basically bound. Duties we owe to our country, to our 
families, to our fellowman and to the Supreme Architect of the 
Universe. In our pursuit of rights, we must circumscribe our desires 
within the bounds of propriety, good taste and a sincere 
understanding of the common good.

Masons alone cannot solve all the world's problems, nor can 
Christians, Jews, Hindus, Moslems, or Buddhists. Nor can Americans, 
Filipinos, Russians, nor can the people of any country do it all. 
Neither whites nor blacks, browns, reds or yellows can find all the 
answers. But each, as individuals, can do his part, and the efforts 
of countless individuals, each imbued with the desire for mutual 
under-
standing of each other, can amount to a relentless, driving force 
strong enough to overcome any problem. We, especially, as Masons, 
have the tools at hand in the teachings of our Order. We must learn 
these lessons and we must study them until they become second nature 
to us. Most of all, we must not leave them at the doors to our 
lodges, but carry them with us into the outside world, where we must 
practice them with precept and example in our daily lives, in 
business, at recreation, in our family relationships, in our every 
contact with others. Then, and only then, can we truly say we are 
doing our part in striving for understanding of others.

This, then, is how he answered the young man's question. The most 
serious problem facing our society today is the lack of mutual 
understanding between people of all races, religions, and social and 
ethnic backgrounds. In solving this problem we will have taken a 
major step toward solving all of the other tremendous problems which 
beset us. No one man or one group of men can do it all, but each
can do his part and make his impact on the total problem. We must 
achieve understanding if our
world is to survive.

