by Larry Peterson
What are the "Good Old Days"? I heard that cliche when I was growing up and I can remember thinking when I heard it , Oh no, not another speech about when "I was in school or when I was growing up or when this was this way or that cost this much and that was when people had respect for a dollar" and so on and so on. I always hated that and I am sure that my eyes did not get stuck in a rolled up position because I always lowered them quickly when I heard, "Don't you be rolling those eyes at me young man!"
Then I grew up, got married, we had kids and my wife and I said the same things to our kids and they rolled their eyes up inside their foreheads and now I hear them doing that to their kids. So the beat goes on and the world keeps turning and the generations come and go and some things change and some things never change. Things like technology and medical advancements have given us amazing things and expanded our life expectancy dramatically. Heck, I still cannot figure out how you can pause a live television program and play it later. That doesn't even make sense to my geriatric brain. These are good things.
What about our Nation? Have the changes we have seen over the past half century become so permanently instilled into the younger folks that there is no turning back? I am talking about attitudes, common decency, morality, honor and integrity, love of God, family and country. 'That's what I'm talking about' (which is a new age cliche). Well, I'll tell you why we not only can, I will tell you why we will.
The 1960's began with the end of the Eisenhower presidency and the transition to the Kennedy Presidency, aka "Camelot". Well, Camelot was shattered with President Kennedy's assassination. The war in Vietnam was in its early stages and President Johnson expanded our role. The draft was still the law of the land and all young men were required to register when they turned 18 years old. As the war expanded protests erupted on college campuses all over the country. "Hell no, we won't go" was a popular slogan of the day.
President Johnson declined to run again and in January, 1969, Richard Nixon was sworn in as president. Troop deployment in Vietnam soon surpassed 500,000. Needless to say, one of the defining moments of the decade of the 60's was the unexpected and spontaneous Woodstock Festival that took place in upstate New York in August of 1969. Over 400, 000 young people descended on Max Yasgur's farm in Bethel, NY for this event. (The concert was NOT in Woodstock. Rather, it was 45 miles southwest. The organizers could not get a permit to have it in Woodstock.) Anyway, in pouring rain and without sanitation facilities, the young folks partied hard for three days and turned "Woodstock" into a symbol of a new age. The age of "meism" was officially upon us.
So why, in a ten year period, did so many of the liberal minded in this Woodstock generation who were flexing the muscles of "meism" turn to Ronald Reagan and his conservative mantra and cast "meism" to the curb? I believe it was religion. There was a revival of sort throughout the 70's and millions of baby-boomers were "born again". Now, in 2013, it seems that we have turned totally secular. The past five years have witnessed an actual attack against God being part of Country. The leftist liberal press and the executive branch of our government have been on a quest to separate the two. It cannot be done and the attempt to do so will ultimately fail. Many do believe it is too late? Many believe that we have passed the point of no-return. I say, "nonsense". Please, do not roll your eyes at me.
Look, there are millions and millions of Americans who believe in God and Family and Country. Just like when Ronald Reagan came along and was swept into office in a landslide, I think we are getting close to that point again. Maybe it is a bit further down the road than I think it is. But it is there. The 'tipping point" will be reached soon and the power structure will be changed. God has our backs--no problem.
copyright©2013 Larry Peterson All Rights Reserved
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