You Can Change The World (1952?)

[Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] hello miss Loretta yo mr. Bailey's having some people over here at the house and I'd like to know if you would come Oh miss young mr. Benny told me to tell you that would be after dinner that's right the life hello miss re-done this is Rochester over at mr. Benny's house he'd like to know if you can come over tonight he told me to be sure to tell you that that you've been here before thank you now the reason I asked you all over here is because I want you to meet father James Keller who's coming by in just a few minutes he wants to talk to you about making a movie now I know that everybody in Hollywood wants to make a movie but this fellow happens to have a very good idea for one you see father Keller is the head of the Kristopher now as some of you may know the main idea behind this movement is to encourage more good decent normal people to take up careers that strongly affect the fate of this country like well like education government labor management and in the fields of writing like newspapers books magazines motion pictures radio and television now I I know this is a pretty big order but the Christopher movement has been sweeping the country so much so that it has reached a point where a father Keller has been able to cover only a small portion of the invitations for talks on the Christopher and he thinks that a picture explaining the idea would be a good substitute for a talk I suppose jack told you that the chief purpose of the christopher's is to get more people of high purpose into the vital fields that effect for better for worse the lives of the majority mankind the fields of teaching government writing labor social service and library work and Jack mentioned that we were interested in one picture as a matter of fact would I be interested in lots of pictures on the Christopher idea because I don't know of any medium in which we could reach the millions of people more effectively to live motion pictures and you seem to have a question well you know I suppose it is a good thing to get into one of those fields but father it's not quite so easy for young people to get any kind of job these days well that's just the point and as long as it is difficult why not try for a job that counts instead of just taking something that where you're filling in time between 9:00 and 5:00 why not get a job where you're doing something a job with a purpose o job with a purpose so you can whistle while you work yes very good and that's the way to put it whistle mind your work but it's really much more than that too I'm convinced we're on the brink of the greatest peace the world has ever seen or the worst disaster you make it sound like a matter of life and death falling but bill I really feel it is here we are in the greatest country in the world about the only country left intact and whether we like it or not I'm afraid as America goes so goes the world that's a frightening thought yes Loretta but a glorious challenge it's a wonderful time to be alive just think a little a handful of people can change the whole course of history well maybe more than a handful I mean just that a handful one percent is nothing more than a handful and just think but that 1% has been doing to mess up the world they get in the fields that count that's right you'll never see any of those the pardon me father chaps that at the ball game selling hot dogs it thank you don't you're right you are Paul they're in there pitching call them what you like they have one thing in common they hate the basic truth in which our nation is founded that every human being is a child of God but he gets his rights from God that the purpose of state is to protect those god-given rights they every one of them get into fields where they can eliminate that truth so the purpose of the Kristopher movement is to spark enough people to get them into the same fields and work as hard to build as they do to destroy yes bill that's just it I'm really convinced that we can find enough people who'll be fired with a love of God and country who will gladly get into these vital fields dedicate their lives and get into government teaching and all the rest of these important spheres and work hard to keep in there that basic truth in which our country is founded to be far but these other people are against number one item is the Declaration of Independence no that's not everything but it's mighty important I don't think many people realize the close connection that the founders of our country explicitly stated was between God and country over and over again they emphasize that was the cornerstone of our Liberty then four times the Declaration of Independence they repeat it over and over again that our Liberty depends upon God that's right do you know the Declaration Paul naturally it goes as follows when in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them remarkable called you're one of the first persons I've ever met that know that much of the declaration there's something I have here I'd like to show you right in the very first sentence of the Declaration it states very explicitly that all law flows from God and then there's another reference to God in the very next sentence the very next sentence we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights amazing tall and he knows it word for word - here's an odd thing about that second reference to God it wasn't in the first version at all it's a straight right in here it is photostatic copy of the original draft the first version said all men are created equal I'm from that equal creation they derive certain inalienable rights but apparently they want to emphasize the point still more so you can see where Jefferson crossed out the phrase from that equal creation they derive certain animal rights and wrote in the phrase they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights and that's not the only change that was made in the Declaration when it was submitted to the first Congress they made several changes several deletions but they insisted on only two additions and both those additions were referenced to God and they're both in the last paragraph the last paragraph the last paragraph we therefore the representatives of the United States of America in general Congress assembled appealing to the supreme judge of the world very good Paul appealing to the supreme judge of the world that's just the point they want to emphasize and then again in the last paragraph after the support of this declaration with a firm reliance divine providence thanks a million Paul you were a big help no reflection Paul but how did you learn all of that yeah I'd like to know too well the teacher used to keep me in after school a lot I bet I wrote that in the blackboard 5,000 times I'll say this for the woman though she doesn't have me right in cat-and-dog or Paul was a bad boy she must have a lot of that Christopher purpose we've been talking about you know that 1% Sarkozy group all they want to do is tear the heart out of the Declaration and that's bad enough bill but they're asked to do much more than that they wanted to destroy the very pursuit of happiness the whole reason for being the joy of living that's come down through 20 centuries of Christianity and for over 3,000 years the Jews have carried the sublime truth the man is made in the image and likeness of God that he has an eternal destiny and all of this stands out ever so much more clearly when you think of what the Adolf Hitler and Karl Marx said about their idea of the worth date of the human being here are Hitler's words he said to the Christian doctrine of the infinite significance of the individual human soul I opposed with I see clarity the saving doctrine of the nothingness and insignificance of the human being and Karl Marx put it in a slightly different way but his idea was just the same he said the Democratic concept of man is false because it is Christian the Democratic concept holds that each man is a sovereign being this is the illusion dream and postulate of Christianity then our position is crystal-clear father we say man is a creature of God responsible to God that 1% say that man is a nobody yes just nobody worth about a dollar eighty nine cents just a bunch of chemicals and they don't want men to to know is sacred worth and that's why they swarm in every field they can to eliminate every trace of man's dignity they want to wipe it out eliminate it from the face of the earth well is it correct to say then that the christopher's are on any - movement no the problem is we see it is this it's getting good people in getting the good citizen to do his part and save in our country and saving the world and so the Christopher approach emphasizes the affirmative the constructive doing something positive we say that it's much more important to chase good people in that is to be too preoccupied chasing evil people out essential as that is I don't know how many of you realize it but according to reliable estimates 60% of the parents of America don't want their own children to work for their own government can you think of any quicker way to wreck any country then on top of that a million teachers are needed in the schools of America 6,000 little public schools of clothes because of lack of teachers fewer and fewer parents are encouraging their children to take up writing careers 17,000 librarians are needed tens of thousands in the social service field I could go on and on but it's smaller less the same old story of what happened in Germany most of the good Germans wanted good government good education good everything else but they didn't want to be bothered about it somebody else to do it you know the old story everybody wanted to eat but nobody wanted to cook we know who wound up doing all the cooking yes jack in the world has had indigestion ever since but the Nazis weren't strong at the beginning but they swarmed into every vital field the lines were drawn then and the lines are drawn now we're either for God or against God if it's the latter we'll pay the penalty and soon we didn't pants there's something along that line about being ruled by tyrants I remember he said those who are not governed by God are ruled by tyrants is that what you many read yes Father something like he hates it with what I'm in well anyhow that's where the Christopher approach comes in we feel that something can be done and soon as soon as there are more people turning on lights than they're turning them off there'll be a wonderful change for the better just recently I finished a quick trip around the country I gave talks in 23 cities 95 talks a little over four weeks every place you go you find wonderful people all ready and set to do something to change the world for the better yes father the woods are full of good people now all we have to do is get them out of the woods father you mentioned that you had been all over the country and you met some very fine people could you give us an example for instance of some constructive thing that has been done I certainly can Laurette I give you hundreds of them but here's one that I think will interests you in particular I was down in Texas not long ago and I met this 23 year old Baptist schoolteacher she said she'd read an article about the Christopher's in a magazine and the point that she liked best was its emphasis on what little people can do to change the world for the better she said and it was wonderful to hear the way she said it she said you know for the first time I laughed as I realized a little person like myself counts then she went on to explain that she was teaching in schools it was hard work and so forth but she said most of the girls I know are getting out of the teaching field they say there's not enough money in it the pay is too low well after all father they do have a point they don't think very much even a living well I think for most it is the red it's a living wage but for many not and that's part of our job to get a better wage for them too but this girl had a very fine solution for the present she said she was going to stay in their teaching and moreover and this was the important point she said I'm going to become a committee of one and get as many girls as I can to get in the teaching field it was wonderful to hear her her enthusiasm and then she said I got my first recruit yesterday the father tell him Oh what about the the young fellow and then in the gas station oh yes there's a nice point to that story Jack this young Negro student was working his way through college trying to support his family you had a job at a filling station a little bit of prices developed and about ten or twelve people stopped buying gasoline the man of the owner of the station was quite worried it was only a small business that he had and he felt that he had let the man go word got around and this little housewife heard about it and she felt she should do something she'd caught this christa friday she should reach out to the world and here was a specific opportunity so in a very nice way she walked down to the station and asked if there was anything she could do this man was so surprised he said with you're the first one that's offered to do her anything everybody's complaining nobody's doing anything she said how many customers would you lose if you kept him which I don't know about twenty maybe she said if I go out and get you twenty new customers would you keep him he said I certainly well she went out and got twenty five new customers one of the big magazines picked up the story and carried it to at least fifteen million readers I daresay that maybe a million people have done things to her example she wanted to reach the world well she did reach the world father I read a story in Reader's Digest about that Russian school teacher Madame good thinking I wasn't that her name now wasn't that in some way connected with the Christopher I think that's an ideal story to illustrate but one little person can do some time ago I talked with a young couple who live on a farm in Connecticut about the Christopher idea this young couple have a wonderful farm six children is 64 cows and when I talked about the Christopher's to this lady she said listen we got enough to do right here furthermore we're buried off here in the middle of Connecticut and I said to rice so I don't care whether you bury in the middle of Alaska you can still do something to help the world the world needs people like you well I thought I'd hear nothing about it six months later she was sitting at breakfast with her husband and read of the morning paper about this madam kazanka the Russian schoolteacher been taken a prisoner I imagined a hundred million people read about it and said isn't that too bad and then turned to the wine ads or something like that you know the old story she turned to her husband she says Dan we can't allow a thing like this to happen in our country let's do something about it he said fine I'm with you her brother a young lawyer came up from New York for a quiet weekend no sir does he get in the house then louise goes right at him she says Peter we must do something to help that poor schoolteacher he wants to get out of it he says forget it after all it's not our business and she turns him she says it isn't our business but isn't our business whose business is it well he was sparked he went right through it he got a group in New York to help him obtain a subpoena he carried himself over the Russian counselin he stood across the street wondering how he would ever get in the hands of the Russian consul general he was standing there hoping and praying for something to happen something did happen up thro the Russian council general steps out of his car hurries up to the front door forcefully left his key inside and he rang the bell meanwhile Pete saw what was happening he rushes across the street and it was quite a job but he got the subpoena in the hands of the Russian consul general well everything began happened the word of this went all over the world by radio and by a strange course of events it went right into the room on the third floor of the Russian consulate whether it be radio left by accident and here seated a prisoner was this Russian schoolteacher she told us afterwards that when she heard a name over the radio when she looked out and saw hundreds of people milling around outside she came to just one conclusion somebody in America was fighting for her she didn't know who it was but it thrilled her so much she just wanted to jump into America but that how could she do that she went to the window and she looked out to hear she was in the third floor but that wouldn't stop her nothing was going to stop her if she could just save her life anything she saw a wire stretched across the courtyard she felt if she could only hit that might break her fall and save her she jumped she nearly tore off her hand but it broke her fall and she was very seriously injured it took a month to recover but when she did recovered she had only one request and that was to see the one person who had thought out into the world to help a little like her I could tell you thousands of stories like these each one emphasizes over and over again the big things the little people can do I'm convinced that God will bless any old fool who will try I don't think you bless the smartest person the world who says it can't be done you know our forefathers left us a wonderful pattern a heritage we should cherish each one of us can play a part in preserving it yes you and you and you and everybody else can do something to change the world for the better father you have a customer you can count on me too father I'm in hey think I can speak for everybody why not you've been doing it all evening I think what Paul means is that you don't have to take a vote you can have a boost from all of us here because I really believe that everybody here thrilled with the idea that all over the comfortable simple enough and wise enough to know that if you don't belong to the human family you don't belong to anything in other words you don't stand to something good fall for anything that's right Loretta very true father Keller there's a couple songwriters here wrote a song they thought maybe if it used the names of Johnny Perkins Jimmy Ben Houston you remember wrote that song would you rather swing on the star over the dog Johnny bark and Jimmy bad uses hello father hello Johnny Jimmy oh yes they brought along with him they said he'd like to sing it cleans is a baritone I didn't get his last name but his first name is Bing Bing well what a major-league talents you have yeah huh Wow good evening father evening big Hollow Bing tell you Jack the boys here written a song if they think more or less suits father Keller's purpose oh then you you know his work oh good David father Keller tell you about the Declaration of Independence and the pains our forefathers went to in writing this beautiful document yes he did Jack in fact that was sort of the inspiration for the song I hope it fits father the dream building [Music] it makes you feel that my friend Lily [Music] you sure gets cold [Music] you [Music] like [Music] [Applause] [Music] star it makes you feel [Music] sure [Music] [Music] [Music] like I think it works alright so thank you would you mind holding this please how long oh it's from Bob Hope he wants me to phone him Bob yeah oh I'll get him for you okay he lives right over here North Hollywood no distance at all you know maybe with that telegram says from Houston Texas a father don't you think it would be better to send Bob you know write him a letter if you know sometimes the written word you can get so much more out of it yeah I know how you feel today but Bob says phone woman right away don't makes any difference I'll be glad to all now wait a minute the hospital now father please no fire certainly not I'll get him on the phone boy ed oh yeah what's the number there Jackson far to one nine Houston Texas I know about you see 900 operator I'd like to get mr. Bob Hope please and you in in Houston Texas yes and the number is Jackson four two one nine I hate the picture of this expense oh let me explain something to believe me on the radio you're not supposed to be a real cheap stingy character you see but that's only to get laughs that's all you know you have to get last but and don't confuse that with the real me because in real life I'm not like that at all that areas I'm alright hello bottom how are you how is it down there bye I hope to get down there myself in a few weeks how's the weather he asked him that already sure fine did Dolores go with you father asked him what he wants Bob I'm at Jack's can you make it snappy I turn this Crosby record on Jackie's paying for it father I just saw America let's be radio there hey father I'm sorry it wasn't a Jack Benny's house for the meeting I just want you to know I'm behind this project for the christopher's seems like a good idea to me getting the people back to the basic idea behind the Declaration of Independence yeah you couldn't push a better product seems to me you don't hear much anymore about the declaration all you hear about is the Constitution and the Bill of Rights let's not forget for a moment that they don't add up to much if you pass up the Declaration and I'm sure there's a lot of folks here in Texas I'll be behind you just their dish good luck father thanks a lot I'll be seeing you bye-bye Jack I can't begin to thank you for this it's marvelous don't thank me father I want to thank you for the chance to help out on an idea as important as this and of all the things you mentioned the the one that stands out in my mind is the part about the Declaration of Independence Jack had stood out in somebody else's mind too I want to tell the rest about it but I didn't dare take any more of their time I have a copy here of Lincoln's lost speech if I may I'll leave it with you notice his magnificent language just read a bit of that ooh 1858 this was their lofty and wise an oval understanding that the justice of the creator to his creatures to the whole great family of man and their enlightened belief nothing stamped with the divine image and likeness was sent into the world to be trodden on and degraded and embroidered by its fellows now my countrymen if you haven't taught doctrines which conflict with the great landmarks of the Declaration of Independence if you have listened to suggestions which would take from its grandeur and mutilate the symmetry of his proportions if you have been inclined to believe that all men are not created equal and those in alienable rights enumerated by our charter of Liberty let me entreat you to come back return to the fountains whose water spring flows by the blood of the revolution think nothing of me take no thought for the political fate of any man whomsoever but come back to the truth the Declaration of Independence do not destroy the immortal emblem of humanity the Declaration of Independence god bless you jack god bless you [Music] [Music]