[NOTE: The title of 'Venerable' signifies that the person is officially in the process of canonization for Sainthood, in the Catholic Church. More on that below.]
In this classic talk from Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, the bishop gives a riveting and entertaining talk about what ills society. He notes the disturbing trend in which society seems to have become more compassionate to the muggers than the mugged, to the rapists than to the rape victim, to the murderer than to the murdered.
Sheen correctly predicts that "there is latent in our society a grave danger that we may go in for a kind of masochism and cruelty."
Towards the end of the clip Sheen addresses what to do with wayward youth and to set them back on the right track. He then targets child labor laws, and derides society's apparent obsession with getting a college education:
"We ought to perhaps reform our child labor laws. Young people are not allowed to work on account of the law!? They're old enough to work, they're old enough to commit crimes! They do not want to go to school. We assume in the United States that everybody must go to school... So that college today, instead of being an intellectual privilege it's becoming a sort of social necessity. 'You have to go.' Some of them are not made for books! Let them learn crafts. When for example there was a newspaper strike in one city, a number of boys who were delinquents began selling newspapers. There was a delivery strike and they sold newspapers. Crime dropped!"
[LibertyFight.com notes: Although Bishop Sheen's TV shows occurred long before my time, I was raised listening to Bishop Sheen's brilliant work through his many VHS, and cassette tapes collections, and books that my dad shared with me. Bishop Sheen and his teachings had a big influence on me. Although I attended parochial school in the 70's and 80's, it was a good education but we did not learn stuff like what Bishop Sheen taught.
Not coincidentally, my dad also introduced me to the work of Congressman Ron Paul. He received Paul's newsletters when I was a kid, long before Paul ran for president. So when Ron threw his hat in the ring in 2007, my dad and I attended the very first 'Ron Paul meetup' in Pasadena, CA in 2007 - a meeting which the New York Times reported on at the time. If you like Bishop Sheen you may also like my Fr. Charles E. Coughlin Archives and the LibertyFight.com Catholicism Archives. Fr. Coughlin, I was surprised to learn as an adult, was someone whom my grandfather was a big fan of. My grandpa, who had emigrated to the U.S. from Naples Italy, had listened to Fr. Coughlin's radio programs every week. I hope you enjoy this talk from Bishop Sheen on 'False Compassion.'
In 2012, The Vatican announced "Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday signed a decree recognizing the heroic virtue of the Servant of God, Archbishop Fulton John Sheen, allowing him to be styled as Venerable. This is the second major step in the process of his cause for canonization."]
Martin Hill is a Catholic paleoconservative and civil rights advocate. His work has been featured in the Los Angeles Daily News, The Orange County Register, KNBC4 TV Los Angeles, LewRockwell.com, WhatReallyHappened.com, Infowars.com, PrisonPlanet.com, Economic Policy Journal, TargetLiberty.com, FreedomsPhoenix, Haaretz, TMZ, Jonathan Turley blog, The Dr. Katherine Albrecht Show, WorldNetDaily, Antiwar.com, The Michael Badnarik Show, and many others. Archives can be found at LibertyFight.com and DontWakeMeUp.Org.
this is just one of them 'he said great things fifty/hundred years ago, what have you done for me LATELY moments!" as you always say. ;-)
I can be counted on for an endless supply of such gems.
:-) But seriously, I LOVE Bishop Sheen. His teachings are absolutely outstanding. particularly the one about why God allows evil in the world , (linked above) a universal question asked by agnostics and confusedniks, throughout all time.
I mainly meant your pile of links, but go man go. I used to like seeing Sheen on TV as a kid. Had no idea what he was talking about, like -- well, I was about to say PBS embodiment of dullness Charles A. Siepmann, but look what a great guy he was! If he could only get a load of radio now -- totally, absolutely worthless in my area. TOTALLY. Bedside clock radio will soon be at thrift shop.