As the ‘60s wound to a devastating close, 1968 turned into a counterculture clash against the establishment. The 1968 democratic convention was without a popular peace candidate or leader since Robert Kennedy had been killed, and those in the counterculture did not support Lyndon Johnson’s vice president in his bid for the nomination since he was a hawk on the war. Still, the young, including those under 21 and too young to vote, wanted their voices heard in the election since it was their generation being drafted and forced to fight in Vietnam. So many of them were being killed, or maimed, or losing their minds and souls after witnessing so much violence and devastation in a land far from home.
The differences between the generations came from many issues, but none more divisive than the draft. Many young men who couldn’t afford a college education and the draft deferment it offered, or who had already graduated from college, were moving to Canada to escape being drafted. Those who had already served a tour in Vietnam and didn’t want to return to the killing fields, and those who disagreed with our government’s war policies and inequalities, often deserted from the military and sought political asylum in Canada.
Government officials and the press cursed the young men who tried to avoid the draft or deserted, while their own sons enjoyed the privilege of dodging the draft without question or comment. Some young men having parents or friends with political influence, and who were already graduated from college, used that influence to get into the National Guard or Reserves, which seldom saw service in Vietnam. This was how George W. Bush and others in the current administration escaped service in Vietnam.
To say the war was an unequal opportunity, in many cases dividing the rich from the poor, would be an understatement. While most of the rich and influential sat at home enjoying life as they had always known it, the mostly poor and black young men of our country were forced to fight in the rice paddies and jungles far from home.
As the democratic convention started in Chicago in 1968, thousands of young people who resisted the war had gathered around the convention center for a massive demonstration. However, the police in Chicago were ready for them and used bayonets, tear gas, and other force to attack the demonstrators. At least one demonstrator was reported killed and hundreds were injured, including press members, medical workers, and police.
Hubert Humphrey became the Democratic nominee for president that year, while Richard Nixon was the Republican nominee. Both were disliked by many, if not most, of the voting public, but especially by the young. The decade ended with Nixon being elected president, which eventually lead to challenges to the Constitution and one of the nation’s biggest political scandals—and to the determination of the Republican Party to further challenge the Constitution in the future, and to take steps to enforce its control over the politics of the country.
While many young people were actively involved in the counterculture movement, or in the hippie movement back to the land, or in the civil rights movement, others of us were passively watching on the sidelines. In my case, I never participated in a demonstration, but I slowly but surely began to believe in the cause of the counterculture, as did those in the older generation of my family whose guidance, intelligence, and belief in God had always influenced me. They read, and they studied issues, just as I did, and they, like I, came to believe that things were no longer right in the United States of America.
My own beliefs came from a different place than most others under 30. Being the wife of a military (by choice) man, I was informed in 1964 that I couldn’t actively take part in the political campaign of a presidential nominee. Since we had orders to leave a few days before Election Day, I was not allowed to vote by absentee ballot, so I wasn’t allowed to vote in that election. Then by 1968, we lived on a military base and I was told that since I was not a resident of the State where we were stationed, I couldn’t vote. I was a citizen of the U.S., and my family had been here since before the Revolutionary War, yet I was denied the right to vote. Still, I had every right to become angry about the political situation, just as every citizen did. After all, my husband was actively serving his country!
Would my one vote have made any difference? NO! But, like many others in this country then, and now, I didn’t even have a voice. Maybe all of our votes together would have somehow made a difference.
The ‘60s changed my perceptions of my country and its leaders. My conservative background kept me from actively participating, but the drama of that decade changed the way I look at politics and its influence on all of our lives. Our democracy was being threatened then, and it is even more under threat now, and it is up to every one of us to stay vigilant so that the forces that shaped the ‘60s never exist again. Still, I’m afraid that those very forces exist today, yet the avenues to protest them or control them have been closed by a media owned by only 6 major media giants, and controlled by our current government.
If steps are pursued to bring the Internet under the control of those few voices, and that attempt is progressing as I write this, I fear that we individual citizens will have all lost our voices. Without the sound of every voice of every citizen, there is no democracy!
Remember that Communism succeeded for so long because the press was limited and allowed only the government’s voice to be heard. Hitler and the Nazis were successful because only their voice was allowed to be heard. The only way for any evil empire to succeed is by limiting the type of news (the message) that its people are exposed to.
What can we, as individuals, do? I don’t have any answers. As a journalist, I am skilled at asking questions, and I’m capable of seeing what is wrong with our society, but the problems are so complex now that I don’t have any solutions to offer. Speak out, and you’re branded as a traitor. Question the status quo, and you’re branded as a troublemaker. Well, I’m neither a traitor nor a troublemaker, but I do care that our country continues as a free democracy, and that our Constitution is upheld and respected. Democracy has never been more threatened than it is right now.
I only have two suggestions:
1. Each and every one of us should READ the Constitution so that we understand what it says. It’s important that we all know what our forefathers wrote so we can ensure the continuance of the democracy that they fought so hard to establish.
2. Read the book, 1984, by George Orwell. In it you will find the playbook for the way our own lives are being manipulated today, right here in America! Scary? You bet!
God Bless America!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Anti-war Movement, More Assassinations, the Counterculture, and the “Make Love, Not War” Generation
The boomers would become known as the “Make Love, Not War” generation as the ‘60s evolved from frightening nuclear crises and an assassination, to active involvement by boomers, then to dropping-out of society.
To say all boomers became involved in changing society would not be true. Many followed the paths of their more complacent parents, and showed mild to no interest in the rapidly changing political climate. Many others scorned the protestors. But a large number were frightened, stunned, embarrassed by the status quo, and then driven to take an active role in changing the world. While this movement looked huge as it was shown on television, no one knows the actual number of boomers and others who became involved in the counterculture and anti-war movement, or how involved they were.
Still, this movement helped end a terrible, destructive war that should never have been entered into. From the beginning of U.S. involvement, President Eisenhower had stated that French involvement in the conflict was hopeless. Yet, that didn’t stop him from sending aid to the French, including money and military advisors. That finally led to thousands of young American soldiers fighting and dying in the jungles and rice paddies. Why? How? The first two Americans died in July, 1959 in an attack 20 miles north of Saigon.
As protests continued and grew in size and scope, it became politically imperative for some politicians to represent their cause. Robert F. Kennedy, younger brother of President John F. Kennedy who had served as Attorney General under both Kennedy and Johnson, and then elected a senator from New York, decided to run as an anti-war presidential candidate in 1968. As he celebrated his victory in the California democratic primary before heading to the democratic convention in Chicago, he was shot by assassin Sirhan B. Sirhan. The next day, he died, and with him the hopes of millions who counted on him to be the president who would bring peace to the country.
But two months before Kennedy’s death, Dr. Martin Luther King was shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee where he had gone to support striking sanitation workers. His assassination stunned the nation and demoralized those fighting in the civil rights movement, most of who were also involved in the anti-war movement. Dr. King had called the United States “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world,” as he spoke out against U.S. policy in Vietnam and suggested a merger of the anti-war and civil rights movement. Yet, he preached non-violence, and was the leading spokesman for the civil rights movement.
The boomer generation involved in marching for the rights of those less fortunate, including young men drafted into the military and forced to fight an unpopular war, watched as their hopes and dreams were buried along with their two leaders. Is it any wonder that many were angry and confused, and subsequently turned to drugs to numb their pain?
Communal living and turning their backs on society seemed the only answer to their pain. Participating in society seemed hopeless, so why continue to support it?
To say all boomers became involved in changing society would not be true. Many followed the paths of their more complacent parents, and showed mild to no interest in the rapidly changing political climate. Many others scorned the protestors. But a large number were frightened, stunned, embarrassed by the status quo, and then driven to take an active role in changing the world. While this movement looked huge as it was shown on television, no one knows the actual number of boomers and others who became involved in the counterculture and anti-war movement, or how involved they were.
Still, this movement helped end a terrible, destructive war that should never have been entered into. From the beginning of U.S. involvement, President Eisenhower had stated that French involvement in the conflict was hopeless. Yet, that didn’t stop him from sending aid to the French, including money and military advisors. That finally led to thousands of young American soldiers fighting and dying in the jungles and rice paddies. Why? How? The first two Americans died in July, 1959 in an attack 20 miles north of Saigon.
As protests continued and grew in size and scope, it became politically imperative for some politicians to represent their cause. Robert F. Kennedy, younger brother of President John F. Kennedy who had served as Attorney General under both Kennedy and Johnson, and then elected a senator from New York, decided to run as an anti-war presidential candidate in 1968. As he celebrated his victory in the California democratic primary before heading to the democratic convention in Chicago, he was shot by assassin Sirhan B. Sirhan. The next day, he died, and with him the hopes of millions who counted on him to be the president who would bring peace to the country.
But two months before Kennedy’s death, Dr. Martin Luther King was shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee where he had gone to support striking sanitation workers. His assassination stunned the nation and demoralized those fighting in the civil rights movement, most of who were also involved in the anti-war movement. Dr. King had called the United States “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world,” as he spoke out against U.S. policy in Vietnam and suggested a merger of the anti-war and civil rights movement. Yet, he preached non-violence, and was the leading spokesman for the civil rights movement.
The boomer generation involved in marching for the rights of those less fortunate, including young men drafted into the military and forced to fight an unpopular war, watched as their hopes and dreams were buried along with their two leaders. Is it any wonder that many were angry and confused, and subsequently turned to drugs to numb their pain?
Communal living and turning their backs on society seemed the only answer to their pain. Participating in society seemed hopeless, so why continue to support it?
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
The Early '60s - Racism, Poverty, and Assassinations
The ‘60s were the most tumultuous in recent history—and possibly in all of history. Certainly, none of us expected the decade to become a defining period in our lives. The emotional experience of living through the ‘60s remains like a fresh wound forever etched upon my mind—as if it happened only yesterday.
As the ‘60s dawned, we were already faced with the possibility of nuclear annihilation because of the Cold War. Children were afraid that they might not grow up. Young people worried about what they could do to improve relationships between countries. Newlyweds were concerned about bringing babies into a world so frightening. And around all this turmoil swirled growing concerns about civil rights for blacks.
The boomers were ready to become involved in the political and social climate of the country because the future didn’t look at all promising. Most were brought up in middle class households with televisions that brought the world into their living rooms. They were raised with plenty of material possessions, yet they could see that others in their own country were doing without even basic necessities or rights. And a young, energetic presidential hopeful, John F. Kennedy, inspired them to “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”
Music became a rallying call for the young. After all, music was important to this first generation raised with rock ‘n’ roll. Rebelliousness had already become evident in the ‘50s, as some music concerned parents because of its suggestive lyrics and dance moves. And some youngsters were inspired to join the jazz and folk scene in New York and San Francisco.
Musicians began to explore writing and performing songs that inspired social change, and the folk revival was born. Suddenly songs had a message about freedom, justice, love for one another, and as the Vietnam War heated up, against war. Freedom marches were held throughout the South to help black citizens register to vote, and to realize that their participation in the process would ensure power. White youngsters went South to help organize civil rights marches, and as a result, some were tortured and murdered by racists who resisted change.
The Vietnam War was heating up during the early ‘60s, but little attention was paid to it at first. Meanwhile, in 1961, a group of Cubans who had relocated to the U.S. after Castro took over their homeland, tried to invade Cuba to free their country from Castro’s rule. Known as the “Bay of Pigs,” this failure led to even further Cold War crises. In October, 1962, Russia tried to supply Cuba with long-range missiles, which created the Cuban Missile Crisis and almost started a nuclear war. A blockade of ships carrying the missiles was enforced by President John F. Kennedy, and eventually they reversed course and headed back to Russia.
Most civilians were aware of the crisis and concerned about the outcome, but few were as terrified as military families, who had been directed to evacuate to underground bomb shelters. I was one of those who chose to stay put, knowing that there could not be a positive outcome to any nuclear attack, and that being in a shelter would only prolong the suffering. Luckily, that crisis passed, but it was the most frightening moment during the Cold War.
Then in November, 1963, President Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade through Dallas. One man was charged with the assassination, but conspiracy theories abound to this day. It seemed impossible that a man as inconsequential as Lee Harvey Oswald would be capable of creating so terrible a blow to the morale of the U.S.
Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as President on the flight of Kennedy’s body back to D.C., and soon he had escalated the war in Vietnam. He seemed to sincerely want to get a civil rights bill passed to ensure equality among all races, and to get legislation passed that would help all poor and elderly citizens. He finally pushed through the civil rights legislation, and he launched a War on Poverty. During his term in office, the Medicare Bill was passed, ensuring health care coverage for all Americans over sixty-five years.
Johnson was never as popular as Kennedy had been because he was seen as an interloper without the charm or sophistication of Kennedy. But Johnson was doomed mostly because of his support of the war in Vietnam.
As the ‘60s dawned, we were already faced with the possibility of nuclear annihilation because of the Cold War. Children were afraid that they might not grow up. Young people worried about what they could do to improve relationships between countries. Newlyweds were concerned about bringing babies into a world so frightening. And around all this turmoil swirled growing concerns about civil rights for blacks.
The boomers were ready to become involved in the political and social climate of the country because the future didn’t look at all promising. Most were brought up in middle class households with televisions that brought the world into their living rooms. They were raised with plenty of material possessions, yet they could see that others in their own country were doing without even basic necessities or rights. And a young, energetic presidential hopeful, John F. Kennedy, inspired them to “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”
Music became a rallying call for the young. After all, music was important to this first generation raised with rock ‘n’ roll. Rebelliousness had already become evident in the ‘50s, as some music concerned parents because of its suggestive lyrics and dance moves. And some youngsters were inspired to join the jazz and folk scene in New York and San Francisco.
Musicians began to explore writing and performing songs that inspired social change, and the folk revival was born. Suddenly songs had a message about freedom, justice, love for one another, and as the Vietnam War heated up, against war. Freedom marches were held throughout the South to help black citizens register to vote, and to realize that their participation in the process would ensure power. White youngsters went South to help organize civil rights marches, and as a result, some were tortured and murdered by racists who resisted change.
The Vietnam War was heating up during the early ‘60s, but little attention was paid to it at first. Meanwhile, in 1961, a group of Cubans who had relocated to the U.S. after Castro took over their homeland, tried to invade Cuba to free their country from Castro’s rule. Known as the “Bay of Pigs,” this failure led to even further Cold War crises. In October, 1962, Russia tried to supply Cuba with long-range missiles, which created the Cuban Missile Crisis and almost started a nuclear war. A blockade of ships carrying the missiles was enforced by President John F. Kennedy, and eventually they reversed course and headed back to Russia.
Most civilians were aware of the crisis and concerned about the outcome, but few were as terrified as military families, who had been directed to evacuate to underground bomb shelters. I was one of those who chose to stay put, knowing that there could not be a positive outcome to any nuclear attack, and that being in a shelter would only prolong the suffering. Luckily, that crisis passed, but it was the most frightening moment during the Cold War.
Then in November, 1963, President Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade through Dallas. One man was charged with the assassination, but conspiracy theories abound to this day. It seemed impossible that a man as inconsequential as Lee Harvey Oswald would be capable of creating so terrible a blow to the morale of the U.S.
Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as President on the flight of Kennedy’s body back to D.C., and soon he had escalated the war in Vietnam. He seemed to sincerely want to get a civil rights bill passed to ensure equality among all races, and to get legislation passed that would help all poor and elderly citizens. He finally pushed through the civil rights legislation, and he launched a War on Poverty. During his term in office, the Medicare Bill was passed, ensuring health care coverage for all Americans over sixty-five years.
Johnson was never as popular as Kennedy had been because he was seen as an interloper without the charm or sophistication of Kennedy. But Johnson was doomed mostly because of his support of the war in Vietnam.
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