As I tend to do , I have been paying attention to this years Presidential Primaries and general politics in this year of 2016. Many commentators have remarked that this is as angry an electorate as they have seen. Well that may be so. But the angriest year I can remember was 1968. Let me take you back for a moment. to that time as I remember it.
A. The Vietnam war was raging on , every Thursday the body counts would come out telling us how many we had killed and how many of us were killed. The country was deeply divided over the conduct of that war. Families were often split , anti war protests were taking place on college campuses and the streets.
B. Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King were both assassinated that year. My brother was sent into Washington DC along with troops across the country to help quell riots. I can still remember watching smoke rise from Albany NY from my hometown of Schodack. The police in Albany had to surround the Governors Mansion as rioting crowds began to push north towards that area.
C. There were counter culture riots at the Democratic Conventions in Chicago that summer. It was a bloody angry night.
D. Politics were consumed by Vietnam and angry push back from the 60's. It was a 3 way race that year but it is often forgotten that it was George Wallace who ran the 3rd party run . He was very angry over the entire civil rights movement and took out his outrage out on Federal Power. He won a couple of states. It was joked back then that he woke up angry.
E. We were a highly divided nation , over war & peace , social programs , young vs old. etc. People wanted blood . My hometown of Schodack was even angry. A small indication was at Maple Hill High School a janitor discovered in Mr Crosses room a Album of speeches by Adam Clayton Powell , a former Congressman and Black Activist. One evening in late September he took it out to the soccer field and poured some gas on it and burned it. He was quite proud of that act though he never admitted it at work. He did brag about it in the bars.
F. Finally in November Richard Nixon was elected to the Presidency. He ran on saying he had a secret plan to end The Vietnam War. I still am amazed he got away with that.
G. Finally as a Post Script a small story. At Christmas time we first circumnavigated the moon. We all watched as we saw earth rise over the moon for the first time. It seemed to truly move many people as we stumbled towards a new year. After the astronauts returned safely they received hundreds of telegrams of thanks and praise. One in particular caught the astronauts attention. All it said was "thank you ....you saved the year.'
So much for angry voters. , a rocky road ahead. But one advantage of being older is I been by this rodeo before. By the way , I still retain some of my anger from back then in case you care.
A. The Vietnam war was raging on , every Thursday the body counts would come out telling us how many we had killed and how many of us were killed. The country was deeply divided over the conduct of that war. Families were often split , anti war protests were taking place on college campuses and the streets.
B. Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King were both assassinated that year. My brother was sent into Washington DC along with troops across the country to help quell riots. I can still remember watching smoke rise from Albany NY from my hometown of Schodack. The police in Albany had to surround the Governors Mansion as rioting crowds began to push north towards that area.
C. There were counter culture riots at the Democratic Conventions in Chicago that summer. It was a bloody angry night.
D. Politics were consumed by Vietnam and angry push back from the 60's. It was a 3 way race that year but it is often forgotten that it was George Wallace who ran the 3rd party run . He was very angry over the entire civil rights movement and took out his outrage out on Federal Power. He won a couple of states. It was joked back then that he woke up angry.
E. We were a highly divided nation , over war & peace , social programs , young vs old. etc. People wanted blood . My hometown of Schodack was even angry. A small indication was at Maple Hill High School a janitor discovered in Mr Crosses room a Album of speeches by Adam Clayton Powell , a former Congressman and Black Activist. One evening in late September he took it out to the soccer field and poured some gas on it and burned it. He was quite proud of that act though he never admitted it at work. He did brag about it in the bars.
F. Finally in November Richard Nixon was elected to the Presidency. He ran on saying he had a secret plan to end The Vietnam War. I still am amazed he got away with that.
G. Finally as a Post Script a small story. At Christmas time we first circumnavigated the moon. We all watched as we saw earth rise over the moon for the first time. It seemed to truly move many people as we stumbled towards a new year. After the astronauts returned safely they received hundreds of telegrams of thanks and praise. One in particular caught the astronauts attention. All it said was "thank you ....you saved the year.'
So much for angry voters. , a rocky road ahead. But one advantage of being older is I been by this rodeo before. By the way , I still retain some of my anger from back then in case you care.
2 comments:
I enjoyed your blog. I graduated from Maple Hill in 1967. Many of your essays brought back all kinds of memories. Lost touch with nearly everyone except renewing a friendship recently with Gary \snyder, brother of Barbara, my classmate. I did visit the area a few years ago, but left sad. Castleton is, if anything, much more depressed looking than it was in the late 60's. Periodic floods have not cleansed it much. Maple Hill...seemed to me a repressive atmosphere under Larry Davis. He was not a gentle soul.
I'll keep reading.
Mark.....I do remember you. Sorry I took so long to respond to your comment.....I have been in North Carolina working an election campaign....finally back. Well thanks for your feedback and I agree Mr. Davis was &(&^%%H , he was a real law and order man. Really. I didn't much like his Law & Order. You are correct Castleton is much more depressing than it was....Main Street is a vacant slum. The school population is on the decline , plans to close the middle school. Well.....nice to hear from you , have a good summer. Peace.
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