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A d d r e s s by Arthur F . Burns Upon R e c e i v i n g t h e ^ D e m o c r a t i c L e g a c y A w a r d of the A n t i - D e f a m a t i o n League of B ' n a i B ' r i t h Palm Beach, Florida F e b r u a r y 2, 1978 Thank you v e r y m u c h , Mr* J o s e p h . v e r y w a r m and f r i e n d l y evening. This has b e e n a I ' v e l o v e d e v e r y part of it, I even found M r . E p s t e i n ' s listing of c o n t r i b u t o r s i n s t r u c t i v e . In f a c t , I ' v e told m y c o l l e a g u e s in Washington o v e r the y e a r s that if they want to s o l v e the Nation's budgetary p r o b l e m , or if they want to s o l v e the p r o b l e m of p r i c e s and w a g e s , they ought to c o m e to a meeting of UJA o r the A D L and learn the technique of achieving r e a l s u c c e s s . I l i s t e n e d with a s e n s e of humility to the kind w o r d s spoken b y y o u r national c h a i r m a n , M r . J o s e p h . A s I stand b e f o r e you this evening, I a l s o find m y s e l f in a m o o d of r e v e r e n c e f o r the distinguished m e n who p r e v i o u s l y r e c e i v e d the award w h i c h i s m i n e this evening. I need hardly add that I a c c e p t this award with a f e e l i n g of s o m e p r i d e . I ' v e listened with r e a l c a r e to the n u m e r o u s r e a s o n s that M r . J o s e p h listed why I a m being h o n o r e d this evening in such a unique w a y . I s e n s e d an e l e m e n t of e x a g g e r a t i o n of what M r . had to s a y , and yet I cannot d i s m i s s his w o r d s c o m p l e t e l y . Joseph I see no w a y of denying that in this w o r l d of o u r s , I have achieved o v e r -2- the y e a r s a m e a s u r e of s u c c e s s . T h e r e f o r e , if you w i l l p e r m i t m e , I would like to r e f l e c t on the r e a s o n s f o r w h a t e v e r s u c c e s s I have achieved in the c o u r s e of m y c a r e e r . I can say quite honestly a f e w things in m y own b e h a l f . F i r s t , I ' v e b e e n lucky. I ' v e e n j o y e d good health throughout m y l i f e , and while I a m approaching 74, I still may have m o r e e n e r g y than m o s t m e m b e r s of m y staff at the F e d e r a l R e s e r v e . Second, I think I can f a i r l y say that I have a m o d e r a t e l y good mind - - and I can e v e n s a y that I use my mind at t i m e s . Third, I a m a c c u s t o m e d to w o r k i n g diligently - - i n good m e a s u r e b e c a u s e I enjoy w o r k i n g . And fourth, I can a l s o say in m y behalf that I r e s p e c t a f a i r n u m b e r of the laws laid down in the b o o k s of M o s e s , a l s o the laws laid down b y the later prophets and even s o m e of the laws w r i t t e n by our own C o n g r e s s . T o t h e s e v i r t u e s or qualities I readily c o n f e s s . And yet the qualities that I have just attributed to m y s e l f - - good health, s o m e intellectual p o w e r , habits of industry, a r e s p e c t f o r law and m o r a l i t y - - a r e by no means unique. Millions of people in this w o r l d - - i n Latin A m e r i c a , the Soviet Union, on the A f r i c a n continent - - have all these virtues and m o r e in abundance. Yet, they lead l i v e s of spiritual p o v e r t y , l i v e s marked by f e a r , l i v e s m a r r e d b y f a i l u r e to e x p r e s s their yearning f o r truth or f o r e x c e l l e n c e . -3- M y h e a r t g o e s out to all these people - - e s p e c i a l l y to the hundreds of thousands of Jews in the Soviet Union who, being kept in b o n d a g e , a r e denied the opportunity to find spiritual p e a c e and s e l f - f u l f i l l m e n t in I s r a e l . It i s c l e a r 16 m e , t h e r e f o r e , as I r e f l e c t on m y own l i f e , that w h a t e v e r s u c c e s s I have been a b l e to achieve is due fundam e n t a l l y to the f a c t that it has been m y good fortune to be a c i t i z e n of a country w h o s e people have had the opportunity to a c q u i r e a d e c e n t education, w h o s e people have had the f r e e d o m to s e e k truth and to e x p r e s s it as they s e e fit, w h o s e people have had the opportunity to put to w o r k such s p e c i a l talents as they may have and to u t i l i z e t h e s e talents f o r t h e m s e l v e s , their f a m i l i e s , and their country. In s h o r t , it has b e e n m y g r e a t p r i v i l e g e to be an A m e r i c a n . This i s a p r i v i l e g e that I, along with m i l l i o n s of other of our adopted c i t i z e n s , m a y a p p r e c i a t e even m o r e keenly than do our native b o r n c i t i z e n s . But as a student of h i s t o r y , I a l s o know that the f r e e d o m and opportunity with which the A m e r i c a n people a r e b l e s s e d cannot b e taken f o r granted. The A n t i - D e f a m a t i o n League, under w h o s e a u s p i c e s w e m e e t this evening, did not c o m e into e x i s t e n c e b e c a u s e b r o t h e r l y l o v e , b e c a u s e r e s p e c t f o r human rights, b e c a u s e r e g a r d f o r human dignity w e r e u n i v e r s a l attributes of the A m e r i c a n p e o p l e . -4- On the c o n t r a r y , the founders of A D L , as m e n of e x p e r i e n c e and p r a c t i c a l w i s d o m , w e r e w e l l a w a r e of the f r a g i l i t y of human nature. They w e r e w e l l aware of the m e s s a g e s of b i g o t r y and hate that f r o m t i m e to t i m e kept s t i r r i n g in o u r land - - some- t i m e s against J e w s o r Catholics, s o m e t i m e s against Italians o r P o l e s o r Hungarians, and frequently against people with b l a c k o r y e l l o w skins. The f o u n d e r s of A D L w e r e p a r t i c u l a r l y a w a r e of the long and troubled h i s t o r y of the Jewish p e o p l e , who despite their gift of the T o r a h and their a n c e s t r a l s e a r c h f o r a life of Holiness, had s u f f e r e d calumny, d i s c r i m i n a t i o n , even t o r t u r e on a c c o u n t of their faith. The founders of A D L understood w e l l the w e a k n e s s of human nature. They knew that what had happened b e f o r e could happen again, as it indeed did on such a t r a g i c s c a l e during the Nazi h o l o c a u s t . The founders of A D L t h e r e f o r e set f o r t h e m - s e l v e s the o b j e c t i v e of communicating to their f e l l o w A m e r i c a n s a b e t t e r understanding of the c h a r a c t e r of the Jewish people. But they did not stop t h e r e . The founders of A D L went on to d e c l a r e that the ultimate purpose of the A n t i - D e f a m a t i o n League was to do what it can to a s s u r e j u s t i c e and fair treatment to a l l citizens alike. -5- T h e s e p r i n c i p l e s of A D L w e r e articulated with e l o q u e n c e in the y e a r of its founding, 1913, the v e r y year it s o happened that m y f a m i l y e m i g r a t e d to this b l e s s e d land. T h u s , m y own l i f e as an A m e r i c a n and the l i f e of A D L have b e e n virtually coterminous. During these s i x t y - o d d y e a r s that have e l a p s e d , I have w i t n e s s e d t r e m e n d o u s s t r i d e s in our country toward j u s t i c e and t o w a r d f a i r t r e a t m e n t of all of our c i t i z e n s . When I began m y u n i v e r s i t y teaching in the m i d - 2 0 1 s, I was one of a v e r y tiny g r o u p of J e w s who had attained that p r i v i l e g e . Anti-Semitism w a s s t i l l r i f e in our c o u n t r y , and it w a s still w i d e s p r e a d during the 1 9 3 0 ' s . But a f t e r the end of W o r l d War II, a n t i - S e m i t i s m r a p i d l y d i m i n i s h e d , and it now has p r a c t i c a l l y d i s a p p e a r e d in o u r u n i v e r s i t i e s and in our c o l l e g e s . What has happened in our c o l l e g e s and u n i v e r s i t i e s has a l s o happened in many lines of b u s i n e s s , in the p r o f e s s i o n s , and in g o v e r n m e n t . Since 1946, when the Employment A c t b e c a m e l a w , w e have had e l e v e n C h a i r m e n of the P r e s i d e n t ' s Council of E c o n o m i c A d v i s e r s ; five of these eleven have been m e m b e r s of the J e w i s h faith. The d e c l i n e of a n t i - S e m i t i s m in our country - - a l s o the r e m a r k a b l e a d v a n c e of our black people and of M e x i c a n - A m e r i c a n s in t h e i r s t r u g g l e f o r c i v i l rights - - did not happen by a c c i d e n t . T h e s e f r u i t s of our evolving d e m o c r a c y a r e attributable to the -6- c i v i l i z e d i m p u l s e s , to the g e n e r o u s nature, to the e n e r g y of o u r N a t i o n ' s c h u r c h m e n , l e g i s l a t o r s , and e d u c a t o r s . Foremost a m o n g t h e s e e d u c a t o r s has b e e n the A n t i - D e f a m a t i o n L e a g u e . B e c a u s e of its v i s i o n , b e c a u s e of its humane spirit, b e c a u s e of its v i g i l a n c e , b e c a u s e of its e n e r g y , b e c a u s e of its p e r s e v e r a n c e , I, among m i l l i o n s of o t h e r s , have had the f r e e d o m and the opportunity to a c h i e v e the p r o f e s s i o n a l s u c c e s s that has c o m e m y w a y . Thus, what p e r s o n a l qualities I have - - and I have no intention this evening to m i n i m i z e m y p e r s o n a l qualities s i n c e I m a y s o o n b e unemployed - - would have counted f o r little had I not had the good fortune to b e c o m e a c i t i z e n of this w o n d e r f u l land of opportunity - - a land w h o s e cultivation of d e m o c r a t i c v a l u e s has b e e n p r o t e c t e d and r i c h l y expanded b y the c o u r a g e o u s l e a d e r s h i p of the A n t i - D e f a m a t i o n L e a g u e . What has b e e n true in m y c a s e has been true of many m i l l i o n s of o t h e r s - - Jews and C h r i s t i a n s , black m e n and white m e n , i m m i g r a n t s and native c i t i z e n s . So, in accepting A D L ' s a w a r d , I f e e l that I a m doing s o s y m b o l i c a l l y in the name of c o u n t l e s s A m e r i c a n s , and if I m a y , I want to e x p r e s s to A D L m y gratitude f o r what it has done in behalf of these m i l l i o n s . -7- L e t us always k e e p in m i n d , n e v e r t h e l e s s , that the o b j e c t i v e s of j u s t i c e and f a i r treatment f o r all our citizens w h i c h A D L has b e e n championing so persistently have thus f a r b e e n only approximated in our land. They certainly have not yet been fully attained in our c o u n t r y , to say nothing of m u c h of the r e s t of the w o r l d . M o r e o v e r , in view of the w a y - w a r d n e s s of human nature, the e n o r m o u s strides that we have m a d e t o w a r d s true d e m o c r a c y in our land cannot safely be counted on to i n f o r m the l i v e s of our people in the indefinite future. T o a s s u r e the retention and enlargement of our d e m o - c r a t i c a c h i e v e m e n t s , we need to k e e p alive and to nourish the educational e f f o r t s in behalf of human d e c e n c y - - e f f o r t s which the ADL» has been conducting with such great e n e r g y and with such unique understanding of the nature of man. But that i s not a l l . In o r d e r to extend j u s t i c e and end d i s c r i m i n a t i o n in our land, w e need a l s o a strong e c o n o m y - an e c o n o m y that p r o v i d e s an abundance of meaningful j o b s f o r a l l those who a r e a b l e , w i l l i n g , and seeking gainful e m p l o y m e n t . One of the c l e a r e s t l e s s o n s of our h i s t o r y and that of other c o u n t r i e s i s that b i g o t r y , c l a s s hatred, and d i s c r i m i n a t i o n have the b e s t c h a n c e to t h r i v e when a nation's e c o n o m y b e c o m e s d e p r e s s e d -8- and the ranks of its unemployed m u l t i p l y . A healthy and strong e c o n o m y i s t h e r e f o r e e s s e n t i a l to o u r w a y of l i f e so that j u s t i c e and f a i r t r e a t m e n t to all citizens alike m a y b e p r e s e r v e d and indeed enlarged in our c o u n t r y . Ours is a p r o g r e s s i v e country, but I r e g r e t to say that p e r s i s t e n c e of a high rate of inflation during r e c e n t y e a r s has c a s t a cloud on the future of our e c o n o m y . to s a y , i s sapping our Nation 1 s strength. Inflation, I r e g r e t Inflation i s causing h a r d s h i p to e l d e r l y c i t i z e n s dependent on an i n c o m e f i x e d in d o l l a r s , but e a c h of w h i c h i s constantly shrinking in purchasing power. Inflation i s eroding the value of our bank d e p o s i t s and the l i f e i n s u r a n c e we have a r r a n g e d to p r o t e c t o u r f a m i l i e s . Inflation i s weakening the w i l l i n g n e s s of o u r p e o p l e to s a v e f o r the f u t u r e . A l s o , inflation i s confusing the a c c o u n t s kept by our b u s i n e s s f i r m s of their c o s t s , their r e v e n u e s , and their profits. Inflation i s keeping the l e v e l of i n t e r e s t rates f a r h i g h e r than it would o t h e r w i s e b e , s i n c e l e n d e r s e x p e c t to b e repaid in cheaper d o l l a r s . Inflation i s causing a d e p r e s s i o n in s t o c k exchange values on which the fortunes o f many m i l l i o n s of A m e r i c a n s depend. Inflation i s causing uncertainty in the -9- b u s i n e s s and f i n a n c i a l w o r l d , s i n c e our b u s i n e s s m e n now h a v e no good w a y of judging what their c o s t s of production m a y b e in the f u t u r e , o r what p r i c e s they m a y b e a b l e to c h a r g e , o r what profits, if any, w i l l a c c r u e to them when they undertake r i s k y investments. And w o r s t of a l l , inflation i s causing doubts to s p r e a d a m o n g the A m e r i c a n people about t h e m s e l v e s , about their g o v e r n m e n t , about their country, and thus is weakening our Nation's w i l l to i m p r o v e the e c o n o m y and to strengthen our d e m o c r a t i c way of life. I a m often asked whether it is p o s s i b l e to c h e c k inflation within the constraints i m p o s e d by national p o l i t i c s . I have no hesitation in a n s w e r i n g this question in the a f f i r m a t i v e . But what i s r e q u i r e d f i r s t and f o r e m o s t i s b e t t e r understanding on the part of the A m e r i c a n people of the e v i l s of inflation, so that their national l e a d e r s m a y m u s t e r their inner c o u r a g e with s o m e a s s u r a n c e of popular support. T h e F e d e r a l G o v e r n m e n t i s fully capable of leading our country out of the inflationary m o r a s s . The government could, f o r e x a m p l e , cut b a c k on our huge and p e r s i s t e n t budget d e f i c i t s . A g a i n , instead of r a i s i n g the pay of F e d e r a l e m p l o y e e s by 7% - as the g o v e r n m e n t did last O c t o b e r and m a y do again this y e a r -- -10- the i n c r e a s e could be l i m i t e d to 3% o r 4%, thus setting an e x a m p l e f o r A m e r i c a n b u s i n e s s m e n and their e m p l o y e e s . A g a i n , the P r e s i d e n t might cut his own salary b y s o m e 10% and invite all P r e s i d e n t i a l e m p l o y e e s and perhaps C o n g r e s m e n to do l i k e w i s e , thus d r a m a t i z i n g his l e a d e r s h i p in unwinding the inflation that i s plaguing our c o u n t r y . T o g i v e one m o r e e x a m p l e , the F e d e r a l G o v e r n m e n t could a c t i v e l y e n c o u r a g e e v e r y f a c t o r y , e v e r y o f f i c e , e v e r y mining e s t a b l i s h m e n t , e v e r y shop to establish a productivity c o u n c i l c o n s i s t i n g of management and l a b o r representatives, s o that w a y s might b e devised to i n c r e a s e output p e r hour and thus r e d u c e the upward p r e s s u r e of l a b o r c o s t s on p r i c e s . The F e d e r a l G o v e r n m e n t can certainly c h e c k the d e p r e c i a t i o n of the d o l l a r that has b e e n under way in our f o r e i g n exchange m a r k e t s , a d e v e l o p m e n t that i s putting new upward p r e s s u r e on our p r i c e l e v e l s . A m o n g other things, our g o v e r n - m e n t could adopt, at long l a s t , an e n e r g y p o l i c y that w i l l e n c o u r a g e the rapid d e v e l o p m e n t of new s o u r c e s of supply, as w e l l as lead to s o m e c o n s e r v a t i o n of o i l . And certainly our g o v e r n m e n t could adopt a tax p o l i c y that would lead to m o r e productivity-enhancing i n v e s t m e n t s in our country, not only by A m e r i c a n b u s i n e s s e s but a l s o by f o r e i g n c a p i t a l i s t s . -11- In s h o r t , l a d i e s and gentlemen, inflation is a d i s e a s e that can b e c o n q u e r e d , but it w i l l be conquered only when the w i l l to do s o b e c o m e s strong enough. Contrary to a w i d e s p r e a d opinion, this d i s e a s e could be conquered even as w e expand j o b opportunities f o r o u t p e o p l e . I have in mind in particular the m a i n s u f f e r e r s of unemployment - - our young people and our young b l a c k c i t i z e n s . Not only have w e neglected their e d u c a t i o n , but w e have a l s o e r e c t e d n u m e r o u s i m p e d i m e n t s that stand in the w a y of their j o b opportunities - - i m p e d i m e n t s such as our F e d e r a l and state m i n i m u m w a g e l a w s , i m p e d i m e n t s such as the m e m b e r ship limitations i m p o s e d by many of our c r a f t unions, impediments s u c h as the l i c e n s i n g and c e r t i f i c a t i o n r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r t r a d e s that range f r o m plumbing to b a r b e r i n g . S i n c e the spring of 1975, total employment in. our country has g r o w n at an e x t r a o r d i n a r y pace, in fact, at an u n p r e c e d e n t e d rate. D e s p i t e the influx of m i l l i o n s of w o m e n into the j o b m a r k e t , total u n e m p l o y m e n t has dropped f r o m a rate of about 9% to a c u r r e n t r a t e of about 6 - 1 / 2 % . But not all c i t i z e n s have shared in the e x p a n s i o n o f j o b s and i n c o m e s that has taken p l a c e in our country. U n e m p l o y m e n t among b l a c k t e e n a g e r s is now running at a rate of about 40%; unemployment among these black t e e n a g e r s i s , in f a c t , e v e n higher today than it was at the bottom of the r e c e s s i o n . -12- O u r s is a w o n d e r f u l country w h i c h has brought b l e s s i n g s of f r e e d o m and opportunity to m o s t of i t s p e o p l e . But as a nation with a c o n s c i e n c e , a c o n s c i e n c e d i s c i p l i n e d b y p r a c t i c a l s e n s e , w e have no g r e a t e r p r i o r i t y in thinking of the future than to b r i n g young unemployed p e o p l e - - p a r t i c u l a r l y our b l a c k b r o t h e r s - - into the m a i n s t r e a m of our Nation's e c o n o m i c l i f e . In pronouncing this b a s i c truth, I a m s i m p l y endorsing the noble p u r p o s e of the A n t i - D e f a m a t i o n League - - to s e c u r e j u s t i c e and f a i r treatment to a l l c i t i z e n s alike and to put an end f o r e v e r to unjust and unfair d i s c r i m i n a t i o n . In c l o s i n g these r e m a r k s , m a y I thank o n c e again the o f f i c e r s of A D L f o r thinking of m e today. And m a y I a l s o thank this l a r g e and distinguished audience in joining m e in e x p r e s s i n g gratitude to the A n t i - D e f a m a t i o n League f o r r e m e m b e r i n g what I s r a e l has m e a n t to our J u d e o - C h r i s t i a n civilization and f o r enlarging the f r e e d o m and the opportunity f o r s e l f - a d v a n c e m e n t of the e n t i r e A m e r i c a n p e o p l e . Thank you v e r y m u c h . #######
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