Everyday on my way home from work, I see the same bedraggled yard sign... "I want the America I Grew Up In". To me, this is particularly troublesome as my America was frought with paranoia from the Cold War, bigotry and in dire need of reforms. This was in the 1970's. Now... the person who had this yard sign displayed grew up in the 1950's America. This is even more troublesome as this person yearns to go back to segregated lunch counters and an age where education was in dire need of reform. Gays and lesbians were stuffed deep into the closet, and there was no suggestion that they should be allowed to serve openly in the military or in any other role. African-Americans were subjected to pervasive discrimination in housing and employment, and in the southern states they couldn’t vote or exercise any basic rights.
I understand that we yearn for the "good old days" where times were golden with our family near. However, we are so so much better today than we were back then... There is a new age of young people who have eschewed the bonds of bigotry, there is an excitement in the air about new forms of energy, and prejudices regarding one's orientation have gone by the wayside. Education is the key to progress! I thank God that I am not living in the America I grew up in!
