MEDFOHD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE THIRTEEN
PRIMER .FOR AMERICANS
Wednesday. July 3. 1957
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7. The Right to Security of Person and
Property.
Not just one, but three Amendments to the Constitution (4th,
5th and Nth) protect against illegal search and seizure, or loss
of life, liberty, or property, without "due process of law."
8. The Right to Equal Protection before the
Law.
As individuals are equally important, so laws must apply equally
to all, without special privileges for any particular individuals
or groups.
9. The Right to Freedom from Slavery.
This includes "the right to quit," for no individual may be
forced to work for another.
10. The Right to Petition the Government.
The legally guaranteed right of the individual to "petition the
government for redress of grievances" is evidence of the Ameri
can belief that government is the servant, not the master, of the
people.
1 1. The Right to Vote for people of your choice.
This is the individual's most potent weapon in the protection of
his rights and freedoms ... a weapon that to be effective must
be constantly and wisely used.
The Principles of America hold that every
22. The Rights of any Individual shall not
Interfere with the Equal Rights of Other
Individuals.
Your right to swing your arms stops where the other fellow's
nose starts.
23. The Rights of any Individual shall not
Interfere with the Welfare of the People
as a Whole.
Freedom of speech does not giver the individual the right, to
shout "fire" in a crowded theatre.
24. Every Individual owes Obedience to the
Laws under which he Lives.
The individual has the right to talk against a law, to work and
vote to change that law, but NOT to disobey that law.
Principles that are Patterns of Behavior.. .
Many of our principles of individual freedom and equality .
are guaranteed to us by law.
But we have other beliefs, other general rules of action
and conduct that have grown to the status of principles.
They have stood the test of time. They have worked. They
have become a basic part of the way we live and of the way
we look at things.
You live in the United States of America. You are an
American.
Real Americans like their country. They are proud of it
They think it is a good place to live. And they want to keep
it good to keep it getting better and better all the time.
Why is America the way it is? What makes it a good
place to live? The answer is simply this:
Throughout our history most Americans have believed
that every person has certain rights and duties and
responsibilities.
Americans have believed that there are certain things
that people should do, and other things they should
not do.
They have also believed in certain things that people
are, and are not.
These things that people believe are called principles. This
book is an attempt to state the Principles of America in
simple, primer fashion so that you can understand them,
learn them, and remember them.
This is important It was because earlier Americans be
lieved in these principles and guided their lives by them,
that America has grown to be the good place it is.
If all of us learn and remember these principles if we
also guide our lives by them then we can help to keep
America growing better, and better, and better.
And if we follow these Principles of America, we can
help make the world a better place to live in, too.
The Principles of America are these ...
I. Each Person is of Importance and Value as
an Individual.
This is the cornerstone ... the foundation of all our other beliefs
In a person's right to live his own life, to speak for himself, to
choose and change his leaders.
From it comes our hatred of those "'isms" under which the
Individual has no value or importance as a person, but is only
one of many unimportant people who have to live the way their
leaders tell them to.
Coming directly from that first principle are two other
principles that are also part of the foundation of Ameri
canism. 2. We Believe that All Men should Enjoy Per
sonal Freedom.
3. We Believe that AH Men are Created Equal.
It is worth noting xtmt the Declaration of Independence ex
pressed the belief that "all men are created equal." l did not .
state or imply a belief that men develop equally or have equal
ability, or that they should ever be forced to an exact equality
of thought, speech or material possessions.
That would be equality without freedom. Americans have
always believed the two should go together.
From the days of the Declaration of Independence and the
writing of the Constitution, Americans have known that
even though Life, Liberty, and other unalienable rights
are granted to man by his Creator, they require some pro
tection by man himself.
So, in our Constitution, and in other laws of our land,
there are set down principles to protect the rights and free-
doms and equality of individuals. And these principles play
an important part in keeping America a good place in
which to live.
4. The Right to Freedom of Speech.
This includes freedom of the press. Of radio, of motion pictures,
of every means by which man may express his thoughts on any
subject.
5. The Right to Freedom of Assembly.
As we believe in the right of individual action, so we believe that
individuals should be free to act together for the benefit of all.
This IS Democracy.
6. The Right to Freedom of Worship.
Not only is the individual free to worship as he will, but religions
themselves are free and equal ... regardless of their size or
their beliefs.
man has ...
12. The Right to a Good Education.
13. The Right to Live where he pleases.
14. The Right to Work where he wants to.
15. The Right to Join and Belong to an Organ
ization. 16. The Right to Own Property.
17. The Right to Start his Own Business.
18. The Right to Manage his Own Affairs.
19. The Right to Make a Profit or to Fail,
depending on his Own Ability.
There are other, similar rights of individual action which
are Principles of America, but all of these individual rights
may be combined in these two broad principles . . .
20. Every Man is entitled to Freedom and
Equality of Opportunity.
21. Every Man may Earn his Living When,
Where, and How he wants to.
There are also Limiting Principles..,
Principles of individual freedom sometimes clash with those
of individual equality. Therefore our rights as individuals
crust be limited, and those limitations are themselves principles.
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These principles, too, are foundations of Americanism.
They are as true, if not more true, today than they were in.
1850 or in 1750.
If America stays free, they will still hold true in 2050.
25. Every Man shall be. Judged by his Own
Record.
A man's family background, his race or his religion, is not as
important as what that man himself can do, for Americans be
lieve a man must stand on his own feet
26. Every Man is Free to Achieve as much as
he can.
We believe that where any boy may become President, where
any man may achieve greatness, there is the greatest incentive
for every man to do his best
27. To Achieve anything, a Man should be
Willing to Work.
Americans have always known that "you don't get something
for nothing," that to get anything takes a willingness to work
and to work hard.
28. Achievement also Depepds upon the
Ability to do a Good Job.
Add to "willingness to work" the ability to produce results and
the combination is the basis for most individual achievement
in our country.
29. Every Man has the Right to a Fair Share
of the Results of his Work and his Ability.
Because , of this belief, America has not only produced more
goods, but they have been more fairly and more widely
shared by more people than in any other country.
30. Security is the Ability of a Man to Provide
for himself.
The only true security for any individual is the opportunity, the
ability, and the determination to work and plan and save for his
own present and future. Self-reliance is vital to individual in
dependence and personal freedom.' No man can be "proud and
free" who depends on others for his security.
31. When an Individual cannot Provide his
own Security, the Responsibility should be
Assumed by Others.
We believe that no one should starve, or be without adequate
clothing and shelter, so those who have more than their basic
needs share the responsibility of providing the essentials of
security for those who need help.
Printed at a Public Service by
BEDFORD
MAIL TRIBUNE
32. Every Individual must Deal Fairly with
other Individuals.
Honesty, fairness, and personal integrity are virtues that help
Tree and independent individuals get along with each other with
out losing their independence;
33. Fair and Free Competition is a Good Thing.
Americans have always believed that competition among in
dividuals or groups encourages greater effort which in turo
brings greater benefits to all.
34. Cooperation among Individuals is Vitally
Important.
President Eisenhower has said: "The freedom to compete
vigorously accompanied by a readiness to cooperate whole
heartedly for the performance of community and national func
tions, together make our system the most productive on earth.
Principles of Individual Responsibility., ,
Freedom for individuals carries with it an equal responsi
bility to use that freedom wisely. Therefore, if we wish to
remain free, we must faithfully fulfill our responsibilities
as free men.
35. The Individual is Responsible for himself
and his Family.
He must protect them and provide for their present and future
well-being.
36. The Individual lias Responsibilities to the)
. Groups of which he is a Part.
He must give of his best to his community, his church, his em
ploycr, his union, and to every group in which individuals co
operate for their mutual benefit.
37. The Individual has Responsibilities to his
Country.
He must be an active citizen, interesting himself in local, state,
and national government, voting wisely, thinking and speaking
and acting to preserve and strengthen freedom, equality and
opportunity for every individual.
38. The Individual has Responsibilities to tho
World.
Man's horizons have expanded. What happens in the world
affects him, and his actions can affect the world. Today, there
fore, each man has a responsibility to act and to encourage
his country to act so that freedom and cooperation will bo
encouraged among the people and the nations of the world.
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For America's Future -
Most of us are still confident of ourselves and of our coun
try. We do not claim perfection. But we have faith in our
ability to move forward, to improve, to grow, to provide
more and more individuals with more and more of every
thing thty want and need in life ...
If we, the people of the United States, want to have more
material benefits, we must believe in and follow these two
principles:
39. The only way we can Have More is to
Produce More; and
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40. As we Produce More, we must make it
possible for More and More People to
Enjoy that which we Produce.
If we, the people of the United States, want to have a
better life, spiritually as well as materially . . .
41. We must stand firmly for our Beliefs, our
Rights, our Principles.
Walt Whitman, writing nearly 100 years ago, put it this
way:
"There is no week, nor day, nor hour when tyranny may not
enter upon this country if the people lose their supreme con
fidence in themselves ..."
There are those who would chip away our confidence so
that their special brand of tyranny might creep into Amer
ica. They must not succeed. So, let us ask of every plan,
or act, or idea .. .
Is it With or Against the Principles of America?
Primer for Americans was conceived and developed by Sigurd S. Lannon, President of Young &.Rubicam, Inc., and his associate, Thomas W. Lapham. Copies in illustrated booklet form may be obtained from Primer Dept, Young & Rubicam, Inc., 285 Madison Avenue, New York 17, N. Y. Price, 10c per copy, postpaid.