Work to protect the four freedoms

President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed four basic freedoms: Freedom of speech and religion. Freedom from want and fear.

The United Nations universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims the same essential freedoms as human rights, stressing them as the highest aspirations of the common people. Birthrights of all Americans should include: Medicare for all; disability and unemployment insurance; education through university; living wages; social security ... In other words, freedom from want and fear. Poverty, hunger and homelessness must be eliminated as dangers of existence. When policies such as these are fully implemented and supported, true social justice and greater equality will follow.

However, the war on the poor and middle class persists, perpetrated by political extremists and nauseatingly wealthy fanatics who lust after absolute power and are scornful of the distress and hardship of their "inferiors." In place of the above mentioned freedoms and rights, the extremists and fanatics sow hostility and discord among the common people.

Their strategy is divide and conquer, while lying about how they "want to help" and making off with the plunder. A rational response for the common people would be solidarity, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or social status. In fact. common people are natural allies.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in his farewell address, prayed: "That all those who are insensitive to the needs of others will learn charity ... That the scourges of poverty, disease and ignorance will be made to disappear from the earth."

Re-establishing the moral code of presidents Roosevelt and Eisenhower is fundamental to the well-being and survival of democracy, the environment and life on earth.

James McCormick

Lombard

Ready for Vatican III

When I read Georgie Anne Geyer's Aug. 23 column, I realized the Catholic Church is ready for Vatican III. And I would like to help the church fathers with their agenda.

The first item could be "Equality for Women." Women would not have ravaged children as male priests did in Pennsylvania.

Then, examine the effects of celibacy and consider eliminating that discipline.

Third, write off infallibility. Read Geyer and see how the modern church is as wrong on birth control as Galileo's pope was on astronomy. Great good is done by the Catholic Church every year, but now we see members of that church can do evil.

We, women and men, need to talk about all this. We need Vatican III.

Margery Frisbie

Arlington Heights