“Hatred is not the norm. Prejudice is not the norm. Suspicion, dislike, jealousy, scapegoating — none of those are the transcendent facets of the human personality,” Van Dyke recited. “They are diseases. They are the cancers of the soul. They are the infectious and contagious viruses that have been breeding humanity for years. And because they have been and because they are, is it necessary that they shall be? I think not.”
Serling’s message at the time was deemed the “Most Non-Political Speech,” and claimed: “[As long as there is] one voice left to say ‘welcome’ to a stranger, one hand outstretched to say ‘enter and share’ [and] one mind remaining to think a thought of warmth and friendship,” then there will still be hope for humanity.
