Something Happened in the 1960s

Note: In thinking it over, I do not believe I gave this topic its proper due. I will come back to it at a future date with a rewrite. G.

And it wasn't for the best..

I was watching a fellow Libertarian last week on T.V. - Glen Beck, and he made the following statement:

"Wouldn't it be great if we could turn life back to the way it was when we were growing up".

He went on to note that it was not a perfect time - but it was a much better time than the one we experience today.

I can vividly recall the late 50s and early 60s; it was a comfortable and safe time to live. We seemed to know who we were and what was expected of us. We were part of a common community where God was Supreme, we had respect for our politicians and the Queen ruled over the Common Wealth.

We respected our teachers and our parents, and we held girls in awe.

Then along came the Beatles, the Twist and the music got louder with heavy metal and and more focus on a growing drug culture. Young people turned on to drugs and turned off life. The Rules that had governed society for a century and more had changed forever.

The Boomers came of Age during this time and with their self focus came an end to community and to respect. Life pre-drugs was to be distained and the values that had attached to it fell to the wayside.

There are winners during these last 50 years including Women and Blacks. Women, thanks in large part to the pill, are now equal to men in the workplace, but in return they have had to give up their specialness. There are other costs including the damage to children left to fend for themselves as both parents worked.

Blacks have also made dramatic gains since the mid 1960s. The Civil Rights legislation of 1964-65 helped to materially end discrimination that had gone on for 150 years and more. But even for the Blacks the gains have not been wide spread. Ghettos are still prevalent - fueled by welfare and crime, black education continues to be inferior and their unemployment levels are much too high as is their single mother rates.

In addition, Obama's election has shown that the level of animosity on the part of Blacks toward Whites is surprisingly high. Far higher than is the reverse.

Collectively, we need to restore our pre-1960s sense of community. We need to recover our lost values and to regain respect for our parents and, indeed, for our fellow man.

As I see it..

"Galagher"