Memories of the past. That’s what I prefer to call recent history. The word history conjures up painful sessions of learning boring dates, names, and useless information that couldn’t possibly have been of importance to me.
Now that I’m an adult I realize just how valuable knowledge of our country’s and the world’s history is. In fact as a civilized society, we cannot proceed with courage and conviction without knowing what has happened in the past. So history is extremely important to our very survival.
Since my school days, there’s been one important change in how I relate to history, and that is because I have now lived through several decades of lots of important stuff. All of a sudden, since this is the Baby Boomer era we’re talking about, HISTORY IS HOT!
In my anthology, Looking Back: Boomers Remember History from the ‘40s to the Present, 20 writers (including myself) share stories of growing up through the greatest, most triumphant and most terrifying of times.
As children, we faced the polio epidemic, which forced our parents to keep us at home to avoid crowds so that we didn’t become victims of a horrifying disease that could cripple us, or worse yet, force us to live in an iron lung for the rest of our lives. Today a Tennessee woman who had been in an iron lung for nearly 60 years and whose story was mentioned in Looking Back, died due to a power outage that shut down the machine that had kept her alive for all these years. Dianne Odell managed to finish high school, attend some college, and write a children’s book—all while encased inside the iron monster. Luckily for most of us, a vaccine was discovered in the early ‘50s that prevented polio so that we, as children, could once again enjoy swimming, movies, and the other joyous activities of summer.
We also lived in fear of the Cold War, Communism, and the BOMB. One writer poignantly recalls living in constant fear and vowing that she would do something about it when she grew up. And she did, which you can read about in the book.
Our world changed as integration and civil and voting rights for black citizens became a pressing issue, finally lifting them out of their second-class status that had existed since the end of the Civil War. I was there when Little Rock Central High became the first Southern high school to be integrated, and when President Eisenhower sent in the 101st Airborne Division to protect the rights of nine black students and ensure security amid swirling threats of violence and mob protests. But mine isn’t the only story of those times. Two other classmates also write about their memories of that frightening time.
Then President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. That November day in 1963 stunned and shocked our nation and destroyed any illusions of security we might have felt. Next came the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, civil rights leader, and a few weeks later, the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, brother of John F. Kennedy and a candidate, himself, in the upcoming presidential election. We all had to wonder what was to become of our beloved country and us?
The major tragedy of those times was the Vietnam War and the tremendous anger and violent protests it generated among the Boomers. Suddenly our streets were filled with young and old protestors and hippies who voiced their opposition to a war that was decimating the numbers of boys and young men. Some protests were peaceful, but many violent, radical groups were also at work during the war. We could never be sure whether our society could withstand the onslaught of opposition by angry young Americans. Many young people marched and others dropped out of society, choosing communal living and drugs to numb their pain. The ‘60s and early ‘70s were both sad and exciting times to live through.
To have been alive to witness history being made during those decades presented an opportunity to those of us who were young to seriously contemplate how we each might make a difference in the world. And even those of us who sat on the sidelines were affected in lasting ways that will remain forever etched in our minds.
Yes, history is hot when you can picture the past vividly through the lenses of those who lived through it. And that’s what Looking Back offers readers: 24 terrific, poignant and very personal stories by those who lived through the Boomer era and truly know what happened then. Read the book and you’ll understand the events and moments that defined the Boomer generation. And maybe you’ll understand why.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Will the Current Recession Make History?
Folks like me have experienced the ups and downs of the economy over several decades, but a recession is always a shock when it hits the middle class. Certainly I can’t know the horrors of surviving the Great Depression during the ‘30s, but my parents and grandparents suffered terribly and survived the worst economy the United States has ever experienced. It affected their entire lives. Will we see the same type of depression happen in our lifetimes?
Unfortunately, none of us can know how the current recession and raging inflation will end. Will the economy get worse before it gets better? And how much worse must it get before everyone in the middle class is affected by the blows. Certainly those Boomers who planned to use their real estate to fund their retirements will have to postpone retiring to the leisurely life. Most will have to work into old age, that is, if they can find a job.
Last night on the news, a story featured middle class women who have been forced by the downturn in the economy to live in their cars. And this was in wealthy Santa Barbara, California! One woman had been a notary public with lots of business when houses were selling and her services were needed to notarize financial documents. Then with the economy on the skids, she lost her job, and with it her home.
She’s 67 years old and has a teenage daughter who had to go live with her friends. Meanwhile, the woman draws a social security check and has a part-time job paying $8.00 per hour, which means she earns about $1400 per month. Still, it’s not enough to rent even a small studio apartment. You see, the average rent for a tiny one-room apartment in that part of California is $1600 per month. That’s why the woman is forced to live in her car. Each night, she has to store some of her belongings under her car so there’s room for her and her two dogs in the back of her SUV. This is a woman who should be enjoying her retirement today instead of scrambling for a place to live and enough to eat.
What does that say about the United States and Americans? And for any racists who read this and seek to brush her story aside because you think she might have been an illegal alien or a minority, no, she was caucasian. Race has nothing to do with the status of the homeless in America today.
Santa Barbara is one of the few communities that recognizes the homeless problem and has set aside some parking lots for those who must live in their cars. One of those lots is restricted at night to women who call their cars, home. And they have to be out before 7 AM before businesses need the parking spaces. These people are lucky—at least they’ve been able to hang onto their cars. But what about the many others who are left with nothing but the clothes on their backs?
So will this be a historic recession that makes history? Thousands, and maybe millions of Americans are homeless. Millions are jobless. Millions lack basic health insurance. What will happen to them? Will those Americans who say that everyone has a responsibility to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps finally realize that some people don’t even own boots, nor do they have hope of ever owning a pair? Will those Americans finally vote for candidates who offer a realistic solution for the jobless, homeless, insurance-less families, or do they still believe that poverty is each person’s own problem, and certainly not theirs?
The only thing that can prevent the recession from growing deeper and becoming a major historical event is if elected officials face up to the problem and bring unnecessary government spending under control, all while offering a helping hand to those who find themselves in dire straits through no fault of their own. We are our brothers' keepers, although there seem to be a large number of Americans who no longer see it that way!
We live in a unique place in history, when our government is waging war in a foreign land for questionable reasons. There were no terrorists in Iraq until Saddam was brought down, so while some in our country feel smug because they (we) “saved the Iraqi people from the brutality of Saddam’s regime,” the fact is that most Iraqis hate our country because now their homeland is overrun with terrorists and insurgents. Thousands of Iraqis have been killed as well as thousands of our own soldiers.
No, this war was not fought for Iraq’s benefit. Instead, it is making American war profiteers, oil companies, oil speculators, and some of our top elected leaders, rich while America sinks deeper into debt. And all of this is happening while taxes for the wealthy are being cut. Supposedly, cutting taxes for the wealthy has a trickle down effect. I would ask the homeless, jobless, and insurance-less, and even those still in the middle class if any of that trickle down effect has reached them lately?
America’s middle class is paying all of the costs. The question is how long will our citizens willingly accept the status quo before they vote to replace those in charge? The recession is not simply a problem for people who are having a hard time getting by. When the middle class falls, and it eventually will if there’s no serious commitment to make changes, America’s system of democracy will fold. You see, our unique middle class is what makes our system of government a democracy. In fuedal societies, there are only rich and poor. There is no middle ground. And if our middle class falls, this recession with accompanying inflation will surely become a historic event that will be long remembered for the folly of our leaders who misused their power.
It's up to all of us to hold our leaders accountable. It is within our power to control history.
Unfortunately, none of us can know how the current recession and raging inflation will end. Will the economy get worse before it gets better? And how much worse must it get before everyone in the middle class is affected by the blows. Certainly those Boomers who planned to use their real estate to fund their retirements will have to postpone retiring to the leisurely life. Most will have to work into old age, that is, if they can find a job.
Last night on the news, a story featured middle class women who have been forced by the downturn in the economy to live in their cars. And this was in wealthy Santa Barbara, California! One woman had been a notary public with lots of business when houses were selling and her services were needed to notarize financial documents. Then with the economy on the skids, she lost her job, and with it her home.
She’s 67 years old and has a teenage daughter who had to go live with her friends. Meanwhile, the woman draws a social security check and has a part-time job paying $8.00 per hour, which means she earns about $1400 per month. Still, it’s not enough to rent even a small studio apartment. You see, the average rent for a tiny one-room apartment in that part of California is $1600 per month. That’s why the woman is forced to live in her car. Each night, she has to store some of her belongings under her car so there’s room for her and her two dogs in the back of her SUV. This is a woman who should be enjoying her retirement today instead of scrambling for a place to live and enough to eat.
What does that say about the United States and Americans? And for any racists who read this and seek to brush her story aside because you think she might have been an illegal alien or a minority, no, she was caucasian. Race has nothing to do with the status of the homeless in America today.
Santa Barbara is one of the few communities that recognizes the homeless problem and has set aside some parking lots for those who must live in their cars. One of those lots is restricted at night to women who call their cars, home. And they have to be out before 7 AM before businesses need the parking spaces. These people are lucky—at least they’ve been able to hang onto their cars. But what about the many others who are left with nothing but the clothes on their backs?
So will this be a historic recession that makes history? Thousands, and maybe millions of Americans are homeless. Millions are jobless. Millions lack basic health insurance. What will happen to them? Will those Americans who say that everyone has a responsibility to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps finally realize that some people don’t even own boots, nor do they have hope of ever owning a pair? Will those Americans finally vote for candidates who offer a realistic solution for the jobless, homeless, insurance-less families, or do they still believe that poverty is each person’s own problem, and certainly not theirs?
The only thing that can prevent the recession from growing deeper and becoming a major historical event is if elected officials face up to the problem and bring unnecessary government spending under control, all while offering a helping hand to those who find themselves in dire straits through no fault of their own. We are our brothers' keepers, although there seem to be a large number of Americans who no longer see it that way!
We live in a unique place in history, when our government is waging war in a foreign land for questionable reasons. There were no terrorists in Iraq until Saddam was brought down, so while some in our country feel smug because they (we) “saved the Iraqi people from the brutality of Saddam’s regime,” the fact is that most Iraqis hate our country because now their homeland is overrun with terrorists and insurgents. Thousands of Iraqis have been killed as well as thousands of our own soldiers.
No, this war was not fought for Iraq’s benefit. Instead, it is making American war profiteers, oil companies, oil speculators, and some of our top elected leaders, rich while America sinks deeper into debt. And all of this is happening while taxes for the wealthy are being cut. Supposedly, cutting taxes for the wealthy has a trickle down effect. I would ask the homeless, jobless, and insurance-less, and even those still in the middle class if any of that trickle down effect has reached them lately?
America’s middle class is paying all of the costs. The question is how long will our citizens willingly accept the status quo before they vote to replace those in charge? The recession is not simply a problem for people who are having a hard time getting by. When the middle class falls, and it eventually will if there’s no serious commitment to make changes, America’s system of democracy will fold. You see, our unique middle class is what makes our system of government a democracy. In fuedal societies, there are only rich and poor. There is no middle ground. And if our middle class falls, this recession with accompanying inflation will surely become a historic event that will be long remembered for the folly of our leaders who misused their power.
It's up to all of us to hold our leaders accountable. It is within our power to control history.
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