'We Must Turn To God For Strength'
Woman, 90, Pens Poetic Tips to LBJ On The Great Society
MARSEILLES -- At an age when many people have lost interest in life or have lost life itself,
Mrs. W. H. Outman, Sr., 90, of 890 Sample St., has penned a few poetic tips to President Johnson
on his Great Society.
Mrs. Outman, who has never missed a chance to vote, observed that “we're
in an awful condition in America today.”
In her latest sprightly doggerel, she takes the position that the Great Society
was started in America long before LBJ. Drawing on her Bible, she says the poor will always be
with us, and said “we must draw on God for strength.”
She calls her creation, “An Open Poem to President Johnson.”
Here it is:
By MRS. W. H. OUTMAN, SR.
MR. PRESIDENT, please step this way
Let me whisper into your ear;
Your ideas are commendable
But expensive too, I fear.
Your visions are all wonderful --
New ones are being heard each day --
Must “America, the Beautiful”
Be improved in every way!
We hear our streams and highways
Must have a change of face,
With parks galore, for the pleasure
Of everyone in the race.
You surely would “paint the lily, white”
Make parks in which to play --
The rich might all enjoy them --
But the poor man works all day.
THERE is to be “war on poverty”
Until it is every whit removed;
But if the nation's wealth could divided be
It surely would soon be proved
That would not be the solution,
For as water runs down the hill
The rich man soon would richer be
And the poor man, poorer still.
Poverty cannot be abolished,
This will never, never be;
For the good Master taught
As He walked in Galilee,
“The poor ye will have with you always,
But, ye shall not always have Me”.
Now a happy, happy thought
Has just occurred to me --
For nearly 200 years
We've had a “Great Society”.
Such men as Jefferson and Adams,
And Geo. Washington, as well,
Put it into operation;
It has lasted and served us well.
SOME of the American people
Are living beyond their means;
They must “keep up with the Joneses”
And that thought pressures their schemes.
Everyone is to be educated
Whether he wills it, or no;
'Tis truly a high ideal
But we know 'twill never be so.
Yes, let's stop crime in our nation,
If we are not starting too late;
What can we expect to have
When children are left to their fate?
A young child in the home,
On television feeds;
He “catches on” right quickly
And soon he supercedes.
The drinking, burglary, murder,
Are all pictured there for him --
Later he goes out to try it,
And goes deeper into sin.
PERHAPS we do need better schools,
First, let's use the ones we have
To wipe out some of the ignorance
That exists in the human knave.
'Tis ignorance that tempts men
Who cannot forsee our fate,
Since Statesmen have become Politicians,
And Party is placed before State.
Some criticize the Supreme Court,
And believe them to be out of line
For they think the Court's decisions
Often make it easier for crime.
When the criminal cannot be confined
Within the so-called “Pen”,
But soon gets back to his old “gang”
To do the same - or worse - again.
Now if occasion should arise
To appoint another man,
Please find one who is just and faithful
To do the best - under God - that he can.
To wipe out crime is a fine thing,
And this is no time to laugh,
But 'twould take half of our citizens
To police the other half.
TO CLEAN this all up is much needed,
For it certainly has a big start;
And like the nice red apple
There's a worm in its very heart.
There's a communist infiltration
And enemies, galore.
Jealous of American prosperity,
And anxious to take us o'er.
But this same infiltration
Has been apparent so long
One can scarcely trust his neighbor,
As together we travel along.
The “Commies” threaten to “bury us”
With no apology,
But we know they would rather have us
Accept their ideology.
THEY'VE taken Cuba under their wing --
Only ninety miles away,
And we can not trust Castro
Today nor any day.
Let us keep up a watchful waiting
On things as they are down there,
As they receive their help from overseas
We should drop to our knees in prayers.
We live in the “Post Christian Era”,
Is what the newspapers say;
We would do well to confess our guilt
And start over again, today.
For world conditions now
Are causing much concern
And the best of men are puzzled
With causes they cannot discern.
NOT long ago, a preacher friend,
Honest and staunch and true,
Was speaking on world conditions
And what they may lead into;
He said we must turn to God for strength --
Then, working together, must try
To help to find the way through
And not “watch a nation die”.
Now when Congress makes the new laws --
The cure for all our ills --
There will be nothing left for the taxpayer
But hard work to pay the bills.
Then we'll never more so proudly
The Star-Spangled Banner wave --
For Americans will not be “free” men
Nor live “in the home of the brave”.
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