Minds of men; The peacemaker
- Transcript
Drums grow the minds of men. Situation 13. The peacemaker. Each of us has an undeveloped unrealized capacities for effective living. They await out true understanding of the mental and emotional forces at work within US forces which we share with the minds of men everywhere. It is toward a clear picture of what goes on in our minds and our emotions that we work in these programs. Not that picture as it appears on the broad canvas of all humankind. But as it is revealed in the small dimensions of everyday in the lives of much. Josiah Sturm I was a man of peace or rather far. Not so much
as far. He was far peace but there were in him turmoil strong and deep and conflict dominant as when fierce mastiff sleep. And there were in him that a node's of strife they had been there all his life. Radio television the University of Texas presents the minds of men. A series of explorations into effective living. Written by the Durham whims and directed by R. C. Norris. These programs are prepared with the assistance and counsel of the Hogg foundation for Mental Hygiene and produced under a special grant from the Educational Television and Radio Center in cooperation with the National Association of educational broadcasters. Their aim. A keener understanding of the forces is universally a work in the minds of men.
No one of us is a stranger to conflict. Wherever one human being differs from another an experience an attitude a conviction wherever one wants what another has disagrees with one another says dislikes what another is resist saw disapproves what another does. Conflict is present. It may be petty squabbles or lofty debate. Minus skirmish or major for a domestic wrangle of global war but sooner or later we are all of us inescapably involved either as observers of conflict are participants in. How to resolve these conflicts how to move through discard to Harmony hostility to understanding war to
peace is one of our primary and urgent concerns. This is true for the individual at odds with himself. It is true for groups of nations arrayed against each other. That is why we find in the minds of men a concerted searching not only for peace but by the nature and meaning of peace as well. Peace within each man. Peace among all men. And we are beginning to see that peace is not simply an absence of war a love between flashes of hostility. It is not so much something to be kept as something to be made. True peace is creative wisdom brought to bear upon conflict. And actively effected and maintained a balance of satisfaction was given and received. It demands they unhampered undeterred energies and insights of those who have peace as their goal. A man torn by in a strife must preempt all his strength all his attention
to his own struggle and to the problems it creates around him. He has no resources to spare for the achievement of peace outside and beyond himself. Only when he can lay down the reins and weapons of self conflict. Is he really free to pick up the tombs of the peacemaker. Eh. Josiah Sturm was a man for peace implacably indomitably forit. He meant to keep up easements served no matter what the cost. Josiah I had not lost the tremolos of a childhood brooding was stong.
When soul and spirit helplessly were tossed upon the boiling turbulence of wrath and left to steep in acrid residue of anger spent. Josiah's father was an angry man if used by life and himself life using a harsh man given to abusing those near to him in backlash of frustration. A big man slow of mind and quick of worry and no placation from fearful child are two or four wife could stand the brutal blow of savage words a verdict of the senseless blow Josiah lived in Tom's rental car met his own father's hands and hated him. What their mom i can't do can't to to see. There's nothing else you've got to feel kill me more good to see you know he will I know I will hit you I heard him and he'll kill me. He
says you got to come here you pop the money. How does he know who told me. Joe sick I swear not me. Which is like a wise man you've got to go to quick no. Oh I say come up and you go come out. You think I don't mean what I say Papa I know you I mean what I say don't pop don't. Shut up get out snuff and fool of a woman all she can do is cry cry cry. Get out get out. And no I was pop like Christmas maybe next week a week after you think you're too smart to come you think you know I was scared again. A coward now as well as a thief. Filings son I got him a coward and a thief. I'm not a thief I say you are a thief thief thief where you get off taking five dollars from me I did not did you say I don't think I knocked their brains out if you say I like was mine crazy food all money comes in. House is mine. You Hey I work for a warrant. He calls it work sneaking behind my
back doing dirty jobs I don't know about. You think I don't know your take I don't find out I'll find out. Soul he says to me Mr. Mayor what do you think your son. Fine you've done all the make last month. Washing dishes at my place. Fine boy. I may show you fine boy. You lie and cheat and steal a little poem I am through I have to have a tickets to my number my pants I have to have them for you. You'll think I got nothing to do with $5 but new plants. Why do you think we eat how we think we live so you can print off to school a new plants. You thank your own man is going to have a liver out. Well pick up the crew every day so you can see Marge about all the new plugs you got here. I'll show you what I think of new plants and crazy things like sneak a kill shot know the show you know you know. That was one time and there were many such salted with fear
and terror and rage and curse. No day but knew the base botching types of violence that shriveled and destroyed. And the backsplash Josiah. Lloyd with fear and rebellion hate trade and every name. If rebounding left small slivers of belief. And these he kept not knowing they were left. There was no deft insensate hand to probe the flecks of pain within a boy's unconscious secret wound and they were never found but laying a hidden festering threat against the day Josiah would forget that Craven boy and think himself a man like any other strong of mind and heart. The bitter part of youth he put behind him and Erasto thought he did. The
years he was a punk and crazy kid. The intolerable span of years his brutish father had defaced the bruised and bleeding years his mother lived with weak and futile teen years. And so Josiah grown to man's estate scourge of angry song and holding the placid unimpaired both in era of amity mayor of his town a family of his own and over his whole home a Kurdish cloud of spurious peace hung like a run said no one was allowed to challenge dissent. Whatever the oil has there sure gave you guys a fit today right. Yeah but you if you're pushing to do it you better watch out first thing you know they'll have a championship with
that pitcher better than Butch you crazy. He's got faster balls yeah but no control. He put some right over the plate. Oh how can they hit him every time they do. You look at the score look like they hit him every time I have to enough boy. No quarreling mind you're not in this house. We're just discussing that in that right Spike. Mr. Stern are just talking about the game but there was disagreement. I know I heard it. We can't have that or we can't have that. Josiah wanted peace and peace to have his family paid the price in days unleavened by exchange of views our brisk discussion.
Would refuse to broach discussions one if a point a round then and as you bind off around here not there Sarah grey just around the bottom you see the sleeve goes in then I think Cal is right Sara great you sew in the sleeve I know what you've got to bind though not for the sleeve. Look look at the instruction I've lost the instructions but I distinctly remember Mrs. Perkins said you use this needle and you bind all the ladies come let's not have this cord and the knitting club. There is no discord just a difference of opinion. Your wife Mary I expect everybody's been at it too long. Why not fold up your yarn and needles for today ladies and soothe yourselves with some of Sara Grace fine cookies one for you Halle. Thank you. If a point arose Josiah quelled it and discussion froze and thus peace reigned by royal decree no voice was raised no verbal battles joined and no tempers blade. You mean you never quarrel Sarah grey not the least little bit. How do
you manage Josiah won't that's all. He simply won't man's a saint. Must be very restful very trying I should think. Why didn't I bicker all the time constantly I don't know what we find to save each other we didn't. Well Winslow and I don't bicker Exactly. I see and he sulks and then we explode. It's better than nothing clears the air. I can well imagine Josiah's wife chafed at the lack of strife. A woman of spirit and far ranging mind she found her views too rigidly confined in bloodless acquiescence although she feigned a subscription to undersell in harmony. She felt annoyed and he was in pieces presens and he who looked with sharp perception might find several stammers spoiling for a fight. And one was coming. But far less quickly than it might have had a less determined man stood adamant spreading his balm to keep
all hostile and fictitious calm. The town was humming. Something's gotta be done I tell you. If you've been out there lately to be easily grown or drove by. Nothing's been changed I could see. Same old fills the same coal it's always only worse since the storm bridges blown down how's it going every which way. I don't see how those people living well they don't not like human beings that haven't got a chance but they're supposed to be getting that chance. That's what I'm talking about. Carpenter and his crowd leased that land for a song with the understanding they take care of Beasley's Grove run some sewage and utility lines out there. Yeah fix up the houses pay no. But even inside plumbing and all. When that was six months ago remember. You know and they haven't done a blamed thing yet. Yeah and in the mean time the flies in the vermin are already having a field day. That area is a menace to the whole time. It sure is not a year goes by we don't have an outbreak of some kind. Yeah and everyone on the start right out there to be easily grow. Dr Abel says he's got three Bs the group of kids in the city
hospital right now. All right there you are. So what are we going to do about it. Looks like to me it's up to the council they're the ones leased that land because of it or why don't they do something about it. They'd like to they want to do something about it. They want to put this thing right up to Carpenter and his gang tell him to put up with. Doubt or else just go ahead and jerk the lease and give it to somebody who will do what they're supposed to about Beasley's grow. Josiah won't let him Kong you know your side he don't won't trouble anything is alright as long as we keep things peaceable and he's just not going to let this business come to a head if he can help it I was going to help it. What does he say when Now according to the report I get he says if you don't bring it out the old folks can fight about it he says it won't do anybody any good to go get all het up about it he said. You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Plenty of them down the road to catch and don't think those people down there don't know it. We're not the only ones getting riled up about it. Doc says there's more bad trouble
brewing at Beasley's Grove I heard him say so much so yeah those people don't like living that way. If there's anything they can do about it. For years we've been telling them the city couldn't afford to do anything well now there's somebody that can afford to do something. Somebody that stand to make a heap of money off of the land that they use the chickens and garden patch only he hasn't done and he's not going to unless somebody gets in there and makes him that carpenters as crooked as they come and he's tough as they come to a just as soon chew you up as look at you. Well he's going to have a mighty big bite. Your folks in this town will just get organized and make Josiah do what he ought to do. Now there's going to be a meeting of the council next Tuesday you know meeting and if we. Oh that's better much better.
I'm afraid we've all forgotten ourselves a little bit here this evening. Things have gotten out of hand. It seems to me the climate here this evening is too inflammatory for a proper deliberation and I hereby declare the meeting adjourned until such time as cooler heads prevail. Order order. Don't put it down I say. I've got something to say and I'm going to say it if you come till doomsday. Very well. Address the chair and we recognize you recognize me all right. I'm Doc criminal. I delivered both your young guns and took out your wife's appendix. All right all right Doctor but there's no need for shouting. A weak man shows a strong man says what he has to say quietly and with conviction a weak man Josiah hides or runs away from what he's scared or ashamed to face. I mean to have these stuck to. Well you're not going to get it this way Josiah. You can rap down the voices in here maybe but you can't rap down the feelings out there. You're going to adjourn this meeting and maybe
the next one. But you can't adjourn Beesley grows there's trouble out there Josiah read trouble and you're not going to have any real peace till it's dealt with. Real peace takes guts man. Not overtly not avoidant not whitewashing just goods. You don't get peace by hiding our pound and that gavel thing and you don't get it by smiling and making pretty speeches with your eyes closed. You get it by face and up to what's wrong and waiting on him to put it right. Blessed are the peacemakers Dr purple remember that I'll remember it just so long as you don't confuse peacemaker with ostrich. There is infection up there at Beasley Grove Josiah. Not just infection of the body infection of the mind and spirit too. I've been dealing with infection for a good long time and I've never yet seen it cleared up by putting flowers in the room. Those folks out there need something from us. They need it in the worst way. And maybe you don't know it Mr peacemaker. Maybe you never had a chance to find
it out but the time comes when you need something so bad you're going to get it one way or another however you can. Peace or no peace. Make no mistake Josiah knew he knew how well he did knew it in the son of a punk and crazy kid the fear haunted guilty sneaking and ashamed who had needed something too. Can he be blamed for cowering in panic one time more when passed to that thin and all too yielding door lay violence lay desperate certain threat he could not face. And yet deep in the marrow a despairing bone he knew it would not leave him
long a low across that threshold roaring would come strife. Known it all his life. Lower her. Lower. Though to discuss mental health and world peace. Here are Dr John armories director of the World Federation for mental health London England and Dr. Robert L. Sutherland director of the Hogg foundation for Mental Hygiene the University of Texas. Dr. Ace Jack that is. We've listened to this dramatization. What do you think of the real ingredients of peace must one first
face reality and if cell sometimes prevents him from doing it. Well Bob I think this is an extremely interesting and challenging play that we listen to. I think it. It begins perhaps to explain why people have gone to war over twenty five years recently in this modern world and I think it's going right back to the root of things I certainly don't believe that you can just put a nice easy layer of idealism on the surface of things and hope to have peace whether it be local peace or international peace I think you have got to go much deeper in the understanding of how people have felt in their early days just as this play has been depicting. Well apparently Josiah had some personal experiences which kept him from facing the problem to peace. Is that common
or are other early experiences sometimes obstacles which keep a person from seeing reality and therefore working effectively toward real peace. I'm quite sure that they are I think that so many individuals in the world particularly people who perhaps push their way all climb up into positions of great responsibility have got this kind of awkward experience in the childhood. I think that probably it's a matter really of the security the security of childhood that determines whether people can grow up with the sufficient tolerance and sufficient understanding to be able to accept other people's opinions which are different to their own and to make something of them while still standing on their own opinions about ready to change them when they find reason in the other person's point of view.
Now a minute before we went on the air we were discussing a real incident that occurred that had some international consequences. And yet at its root it was really also an incident of. Quite a personal inner insecurity or conflict. Would you mind telling that again. Well I think you mean the story I told you about one of the United Nations meetings at which I was an observer. Well one of the delegates the head of the governmental delegation was a very insecure sensitive man who felt very affronted because by some secretarial accident he hadn't received an invitation to a party which he thought he should have been invited to because of this he started lobbying against a man who had given the party who was going to propose some rather important resolution in the meeting. Two days later he succeeded in getting it defeated. And just to satisfy his own animosity and sense of a personal slight and a front
and as a result of it a great many people died who might have lived. It was one of the many instances with quite a glaring instance of how the sort of in the sick person with a feeling of inferiority becomes aggressive and attacks in order to show great very important person he is all must be consistent. And this happens much more often than we know in local affairs and in national and international of the US. I wonder if there are some other examples. I was out of personal inadequacies which the individual without realizing it himself actually takes out on others or takes out on a situation. You've mentioned this feeling of insecurity. Are there any other emotional tendencies that some of us have which we work out on others without realizing it. Well we have to get our own back on people who think of the patriarchal culture of Germany for example you will find a very good instance of this where children were under the
domination of authoritarian parents and had to be very submissive and rebelled against it inwardly but couldn't express it like this boy outwardly. And then when they get into positions of authority that they themselves become tend to become bullies or authoritarians. This is true of every countries not only Germany but the German culture in the studies of it show that very clearly. What do you see about the culture in this country the frankness of it the apparent lack of inhibition in it which possibly helps children grow up in a fairly easygoing natural way that might prepare them for more realistic dealing in this matter of people I would hesitate being a Britisher to comment very much on the cultural patterns of this country. I think you know it's very much better naturally than I do. I don't know what these factors are I sometimes wonder whether people in this country really.
I have got quite as idealistic and as Dieudonne as wise and I have two children with a sometimes I don't spoil too much in this country given too much love of the wrong kind. I'm sure they've got children who got to have love a sense of security. What is the answer on Divine Love that is sporting that gives people a sense of their own importance. It was easy this aggressive man has gone from it in feeling of inferiority to an immense sense of self-importance and this always produces a reaction in small children of the family. Well now there was a time when parents and possibly others were so interested in having the child grow up to a stable maturity. That they protected the child from adverse and negative experiences no longer is that true. We find parents and teachers helping children learn how to meet problems even how to meet failures. You think that has a bearing upon their ability later. I think Oh certainly I think that everything that gives real respect to censor is being respected. The child is vital. Reza respect leads to tolerance. If
human beings small children or larger children or older people aren't respected then they do not have a real tolerance an inability to stand up to the frustrations and differences of opinion from other people. Well I do think that sometimes conflict lets a minor conflict for sake of argument may actually be a proud two later agreement. Oh quite quite often but conflict. Conflict discussion is magnificent argument is to try to prove that I'm right and you're wrong you want to do the same the vice versa is nonsense to discuss things and find a common agreement on points of agreement. Is saying this is the way the world advances in the way in which progress comes and the way in which peace local National Peace International Peace comes I'm sure. Well peacemaker one of a series of explorations into effective living titled the minds of men.
A presentation of radio television at the University of Texas. Taking part in the discussion in today's broadcast by Dr. John R. Reid director of the World Federation of Mental Health and Dr. Robert also director of the University of Texas program where for example broadcast Robert F.. Eleanor. Narrator This program is distributed by the National Educational broadcasters. Rule. This is the network.
- Series
- Minds of men
- Episode
- The peacemaker
- Producing Organization
- University of Texas
- KUT (Radio station : Austin, Tex.)
- Contributing Organization
- University of Maryland (College Park, Maryland)
- AAPB ID
- cpb-aacip/500-5d8nhb3t
If you have more information about this item than what is given here, or if you have concerns about this record, we want to know! Contact us, indicating the AAPB ID (cpb-aacip/500-5d8nhb3t).
- Description
- Episode Description
- The true nature of peace, distortions of the peace concept, characteristics of the efficacious peacemaker.
- Series Description
- A series of explorations into effective living, combining dramatizations with commentary.
- Broadcast Date
- 1958-01-01
- Topics
- Psychology
- Subjects
- Mental health
- Media type
- Sound
- Duration
- 00:29:17
- Credits
-
-
Director: Norris, R. C.
Guest: Reese, John R.
Interviewer: Sutherland, Robert L. (Robert Lee)
Producing Organization: University of Texas
Producing Organization: KUT (Radio station : Austin, Tex.)
- AAPB Contributor Holdings
-
University of Maryland
Identifier: 58-5-13 (National Association of Educational Broadcasters)
Format: 1/4 inch audio tape
Duration: 00:29:18
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- Citations
- Chicago: “Minds of men; The peacemaker,” 1958-01-01, University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed October 15, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-5d8nhb3t.
- MLA: “Minds of men; The peacemaker.” 1958-01-01. University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. October 15, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-5d8nhb3t>.
- APA: Minds of men; The peacemaker. Boston, MA: University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-5d8nhb3t