Remembering the America Experienced by a Child of the 50s and 60s
Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart Every day the first thing we did at St. Gerard Majella’s Elementary School was face the corner of our classroom, put our hands over our hearts, and recite The Pledge of Allegiance. The school was located in West Los Angeles. I remember a feeling of pride as we spoke the patriotic words which ended “with liberty and justice for all.” In parts of America those six words have little meaning today. I loved learning about each of the 48 states: what the lives of each state’s people were like and how they were different from my own. I was thrilled on January 3, 1959 when Alaska became our 49 th state and again on August 21, 1959 when Hawaii became our 50 th . States were not labeled “red” or “blue,” they were all a part of the United States. How things have changed and moved backwards to 1861. Of course I was proud to be a “Californian.” I loved the weather, the beaches, and the lifestyle offered by such a diverse state. I learned about the state where my