Some More Irresponsible Chatter
Even when I think a man is wrong, I like for him to challenge my respect by talking like he had a modicum of sense in his head. Under the guise of "Talking Things Over With My Brethren" Jimmie Lovell continues to talk, just chatters along irresponsibly. It is discouraging, or worse. Here is another sample of his chatter.
"Brethren, one of the most disgraceful blots upon the church of today is the neglect of our boys whose faith prevents their taking part in the war. I had as soon desert my wife and daughter to the Japanese as to desert our boys in camp."
This is at least twice recently that garrulous Jimmie' has made reference to his wife and daughter in a manner that shows an utter absence of that delicacy of feeling
a refined gentleman would naturally entertain toward the women in his household. Once he would see his wife and daughter "raped" before he would use extreme force to prevent it; now he had as soon desert them to the Japanese ad-nauseum. Is the man insane? He certainly doesn't talk sense. Yet he is the "publicity director" for that "Service Committee" organized to do business among us on "a nation-wide scale." Brethren generally ought to send him to Coventry, utterly ignore him as wholly irresponsible, which most of them probably will.
Who are "our boys in camp"? They are men who refuse to wear a uniform at the call of the government to do even non-combatant service. Brother Showalter says they have "poorly educated consciences." I should say as much. They get three meal each day, a comfortable place to sleep, and the work they do is light compared with regular training for military service. Jimmie is spilling tears from California to the Lord knows where over the terrible persecutions they are suffering and sobs aloud: "If I were the one to make the awards to our heroes I would pin the medals of Distinguished Service upon you men of faith." I suppose he would turn his wife and daughter over to the Japanese to get to do it! Ugh! And there is more of this pitiful drivel.
"Young men you mothers and fathers who have boys there--I seem to sit here helpless. I hardly know what I can do to help you. Would that God would show me a
way to obtain from the government permission to establish a camp where we could get all of you together. It could be done if some large church as Lubbock, Texas, would go about it. Anyhow, I love you for the cross you bear."
I suggest that this would come under the jurisdiction of the "Service Committee For Conscientious Objectors." With a "large church as Lubbock, Texas" with a "competent preacher and a qualified eldership" as "sponsor;" a man like Jimmie as "publicity director;" and a medium like the Gospel Advocate to whoop it up in, "the government" ought to be duly impressed. It might work, except there is a political situation involved. The Lubbock church might have to change preachers. The present incumbent is writing articles about the government that sounds like he were opening the Republican campaign for the Presidency, and the present administration in Washington might look on it as a conspiracy. After all it might be just as well for Jimmie to "sit here helpless" till the war is over, and then the boys will be turned loose anyhow. I don't see anything else to do, unless the Lord favors Jimmie with a special revelation about how to "go about it." While Jimmie sits, his tongue wags, but that is a "cross" we will all have to "bear." If we are to have an epidemic of committees and boards, I'm going to suggest a Sanity Board. I don't want Jimmie on it. He is the first one I want to call before it.