TheWiseOldFart

Okay, before you go ballistic about my title, I have a preponderance of evidence which proves that white men are the reason for American never becoming a “great country.” (Trump is simply the worst of the worst). Fact number one: most men my age who are white hold onto prejudices they had when they were much younger. Our generation was about “success,” and success meant making lots and lots of money. We were taught to be “politically correct,” at least in public. Christianity was the only valid religion. Black people possessed a lower level of intelligence than whites. And women were expected to “remain in their place.” One more thing: any type of sexual relationship other than heterosexual was forbidden by the leaders of every Christian religion. They preached their hate messages every time they stood behind a pulpit. Until the age of 16, most of my life was surrounded in an atmosphere of white privilege. In my last year of parochial education, there was a single Black student in the ...

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   At the ripe old age of 77, I feel lucky to have witnessed a few great leaders in America. In 1956 I watched “Ike’s” second nomination at the Republican National Convention. Although I do not consider Eisenhower a “great president,” he did have some impressive accomplishments, including the interstate highway system. He was a loyal American who loved his country. I was just beginning high school when John Fitzgerald Kennedy was elected as our 35 th president. He was murdered on November 22, 1963 when I was a senior. He was the last great leader in my lifetime. My generation was devastated when he was taken from us too soon. My senior class dedicated a bust of President Kennedy to our Senior Court when we graduated. There were other men and women who were impressive and accomplished great things, including Richard Nixon, the former Governor of Texas, Ann Richards, Senators Ted Kennedy and John McCain, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. This is the primary prob...