Where have they all gone to? What has happened to them? What did they morph into? Fifty years ago the United States was full of idealistic, brave, motivated, citizens. There was a growing passionate anti-war movement begin born. There were marches and demonstrations and civil rights protest. The Civil Rights Act was passed. The Christian community was linked with Jewish rabbis, with Hindus and Muslims in the battle for civil rights. Whites and African Americans were working together. Students were taking over college campuses and sit-ins were across the country. There were hippies, and love children, and there was a "dawning of an age of aquarius."
Now fifty years later we have a 2014 National election and the whole nation takes this turn to the far right. The Supreme Court declares that the voter right act is no longer needed, and immediately the people who are in charge of legislatures pass all these new voter laws that rob thousands of people of their right to vote. These young people, who demanded the civil rights, have somehow fifty years later become the people who support the restriction on voter rights. One person one vote has become 100 million dollars one senate seat and there is not out cry.
Now fifty years later these bright, excited and principled people who risked their lives for civil rights for African Americans have turned in to old white people who blame the African American president for all the ills of this nation instead of blaming the Republican party in congress which had decided from the very beginning that they would do nothing to work with the African American man. Where did the army of protestors and marches go? How did they get transformed into being voters of the conservative right?
Fifty years ago the complaint most often heard was that the church needed to get out of politics because the Christian ministers and members were support integration, were protesting the war in Vietnam, were supporting sanitation workers, were pushing for better quality of life for all people and were helping women obtain the power to decide for themselves their health issue. Now fifty years later in 2014 it is the Christian Church which is the most reactionary, the most oppressive, the most judgmental, the most vocal about opposing all of the progress, changes and the humane actions of our courts and leaders. People of faith have become people of fear. People of faith have disappeared and we now have corporation with souls.
Fifty years ago there were men, women, boys and girls who were liberal, progressive and positive. Now somehow they seem to have put on years, put on weight, put on barnacles and become part of the old people party of fear and selfishness. How did all those great people become what we have now fifty years later?
It is enough to bring tears to your eyes.