Our Country’s Morals and Goals Should Return to the Ideals of 1960’s America
Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart
First, let me inform you that I feel fortunate to have been
an original “baby boomer.” What I have experienced in my life will never be
repeated by any other generation. Everything from the growth of commercial air
travel, to how we communicate in 2024 began in my lifetime.
I cannot say that all of the changes are positive: human
beings are far from perfect. However, as a septuagenarian, I will tell you that
I was forced to learn about new inventions and how to use them many times
during every decade. My education existed beyond what I learned in school.
Every day life offered me more information than I could possibly learn in the
few hours I attended classes.
By the way, we read newspapers daily to learn what was
happening in our country and around the world. Television news was in its
infancy. Today, television “news” is more concerned about selling advertising
than informing our nation’s people.
ONE MAN CHANGED THE WAY YOUNG AMERICA USED FREE THOUGHT
I began high school in September of 1960, about two months before
the election between Richard Nixon and John Fitzgerald Kennedy. I was 14 years
old.
I, and millions of other young Americans were inspired by
soon to be President Kennedy. He spoke to us. Never before or after his
nomination by the Democratic Party in 1960 have I witnessed such a display of
patriotism by anyone under the age of 35.
JFK helped us realize the importance of voting rights, (in
1960, 21 was the voting age), civil rights, women’s rights, and the importance
of becoming involved in what happens in Washington. Our young President, 43
years old on Election day, understood us and knew how to get his message across
to men and women of all ages.
AMERICA WAS MORE UNITED IN 1960 THAN AT ANY OTHER TIME THAN
DURING OUR TWO WORLD WARS
Men and women of all ages marched in the streets for those
less fortunate than we were. For the first time women joined together and
demanded treatment equal to men in every aspect of society.
I think every young man and woman thought about joining the
Peace Corps with the intention of doing something for other humans in need.
IN THE 21ST CENTURY MOST YOUNGER AMERICANS ARE
OBLIVIOUS TO THE DOMINANCE OF POLITICS IN OUR COUNTRY
You can better understand the attitude of young Americans in
2024 when you look at the decade between 1960 and 1970.
The average age of all Americans in the 21st
century is under 39 years. On election day, November 5th, the
candidates will likely be 81 and 78. Both men will be about 40 years older than
the average. This will not work.
Although President Biden has performed beyond my expectations,
America needs a woman president who is much closer, and more aware of the needs
and wishes of the majority.
On the Republican side, Trump moved our nation backwards
into the darkness which lurked in our society in the mid-20th
century. He destroyed the rights of minorities and non-Christians, and ended a
woman’s right to make decisions about her own mental and physical health. He
reduced taxes for the super-rich, resulting in a severe growth in income
inequality. His final attempt, while still in the White House, was to overturn
our democratically elected government and replace it with a fascist regime with
him as its Fuhrer.
I KNOW YOU ARE ALL ASKING ABOUT THE DESTRUCTIVE END OF THE
1960’S
I will not attempt to tell you that the entire decade
between 1960 and 1970 were great.
When I graduated high school in 1964, the illegal war in
South Vietnam was escalating. To this day, no one can give me a straight answer
about why we engaged in a war halfway around the world.
In 1968, two of my few personal heroes were murdered: Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr., and Robert Kennedy. The latter was my choice for the
Presidency and the first time I could vote in a general election.
After the “Tet Offensive” in 1968, my age group was marching
against the war across America. Older Americans, mostly WWII veterans,
supported the illegal and immoral war, but they were not drafted into a
senseless military conflict in which 59,000 men my age would lose their lives
for nothing.
In 1969 Woodstock became the largest protest against war in
history.
WHEN I GREW UP IS WHY I WRITE ABOUT POLITICS TODAY
My generation was involved. Nothing similar to this happened
until the murders of 17 students and faculty, with an additional 17 people
injured happened at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida on
February 14, 2018.
A “young people’s” march on Washington was organized and
took place on March 24, 2018. It was accurately named, “The March for Our
Lives.” They were protesting the fact that our government was doing nothing
about gun violence in our schools and other venues across America.
As they did after the slaughter of small children in Newtown,
Connecticut in 2012, nothing happened. This “trend” continues today.
Our government cannot be trusted or respected. They do
nothing and brag about it.
Op-ed by James Turnage
Find my novels on Amazon’s Kindle
Please follow my blog: TheWiseOldFart
.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment