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New Words to Study

manners          everyone          things           polite
their            so                something        interrupt
hear             other             she              one



Be Polite

Introduce a new friend to your other friends. When you introduce a man to a woman, call the woman's name first. When you introduce a younger person to an older person, call the older person's name first.
Tell something about the new friend you are introducing. Tell your old friends something about the new friend. Say the names of the persons clearly. Be polite and introduce your friends.



Our America

Our United States of America is the home of a great American nation. We are a part of that great nation. All people who live in North America and in South America are Americans. We are Americans too.
We love this great land. It has given us our living for many years. It holds opportunities for our children and grandchildren.
Day by day we silently pour the concrete of love into the furious, violent ocean of hate. Some day that concrete will build a foundation that will support a bridge to span the channel and open lines of communication to all peoples.
Our hearts are filled with the spirit of brotherhood, and our hands move forward, defying all acts of violence.
The Supreme Court building, where the Justices decide legal disagreements, is the symbol of law. The Capitol, where our Senators and Representatives make the laws, is the symbol of free, representative government. The White House, where the President lives and his Cabinet meets, is the symbol of our country in world affairs. We accept the results of elections and abide by the rulings of the courts.
We in America know that voting is important for good citizenship, but we know that educating our children so they will vote wisely is a part of good citizenship, too. They have to know how to stand up for their rights.
In America we want law and justice.
We love our land--America!

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The Power of Non-Violence

When Jesus said, "If a man smite thee on one cheek, turn to him the other also," he was introducing mankind to a new way of life--a way of life which overcomes evil through love. This simple New Testament truth was put into practice by Mahatma Gandhi in India. Under his leadership, the Indian people won their freedom from the British without firing a shot. Their weapon was moral force, or truth force as Gandhi called it.
The idea of non-violence first received widespread attention in the United States when a young Baptist minister, The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., led the people of Montgomery, Alabama in a non-violent protest against discourtesy and segregation on the busses of that city. These people walked to work for 381 days to demonstrate the fact that they were tired of being cursed and abused on the busses. Though their homes and churches were bombed, though they were thrown into prison, they did not strike back. They won the respect of the entire world and many of their oppressors, because they refused to be dragged down to the level of animal hatred and violence. During all these months they demonstrated that one may overcome an enemy through love and transform him into a friend.
If a man returns evil for evil, one bad deed leads to another until one enemy is destroyed. We have no desire to destroy those who oppress us, we want them to understand and respect us. Therefore we take it upon ourselves to love them no matter what they do to us. We will not give in, nor will we attempt to do violence to them. Soon we see that our enemies begin to see our side of the story. When we don't fight back, they are forced to think about why we don't. This is the beginning of understanding. Understanding is the stepping stone to true brotherhood.

Things To Do

Answer these questions by filling in the blanks: 
1. The weapon used to gain freedom in India was _________________.
2. __________________ led the first non-violence movement in Montgomery.
3. For 381 days people walked in order to gain __________________.
4. __________________ is the stepping stone to true brotherhood.

Discuss the following questions: 
1. What would happen in your town if minority groups used violent means to solve their problems?
2. What happens when nothing is done to overcome community problems? 
3. How can non-violence be used in your community?


New Words to Study

introduce               younger             person           call
first                   woman               clearly          new

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