DON'T JUST SAY IT!
Idle Gossip on War is Dangerous!
Women can do a lot of talking while they're knitting -and if they don't watch themselves they can do as much damage by their talk as they do good by the warm clothes they knit for the Red Cross.
If the click of their knitting needles is accompanied by thoughtless war talk they aren't nearly as patriotic as they like to believe they are.
No woman can knit enough sweaters to make up for spreading vague and frightening war rumors. Of for circulating stories about people in her community who have always been good citizens, but who happen to have been born in a country with which we are now at war.
Nor can she roll enough bandages to make up for the damage she does by making derogatory remarks about our army or repeating groundless gossip about the men who are running our government.
And she can't devote enough hours to war work to balance the harm she does by kicking about taxes, complaining over the high cost of living, and grumbling over having to give up a few luxuries.
Don't Wall Over Sacrifices
Nor is there any way in which she can make up for her bad effect on morale when she acts as though when she gives up "things" she is making a terrific sacrifice. Any woman who has a man in one of the armed forces is bound to resent such an attitude.
Knitting is a great inducement to talking -so while they knit women should keep their minds on their talking as well as their knitting to see that there is no harm in anything they say.
We, The Women, by Ruth Millett
-The Evening Independent February 9,1942
No comments:
Post a Comment