Teaching democratic values

I live next to a one-room school museum owned by the Palmerton Area Historical Society.  The school contains copies of old primers, some of which have stories about Dick and Jane.  I recently looked at one entitled “School Friends,” published in 1940 and revised in 1951.  The author was Lois G. Nemec, a professor of education at the University of Wisconsin. The book was part of “the democracy series.”

The two-page preface contains this message and list:

As we survey conditions in the world today, our American way of life becomes increasingly precious and important to us.  The hard fact remains, however, that our democratic way is being sharply challenged both at home and abroad.  Because of this American citizens must not only understand the meaning of democracy but also know how to assume its responsibilities.

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In planning the Democracy Series, the editors and authors, after careful investigation and conference, selected fifteen salient characteristics of democracy as follows:

1. Respect for the dignity of the individual
2. Broad opportunity for the individual
3. Economic and social security
4. Freedom to seek the truth
5. Freedom of speech and press
6. Universal education
7. Majority rule, minority rights
8. Justice for the common man
9. Freedom of religion
10. Respect for the rights of private property
11. Individual responsibility as a citizen of a democracy
12. Development of the social virtues
13. Intellectual honesty
14. Living together as good neighbors
15. World understanding and co-operation with other nations