The Sixties: The Years that Shaped a Generation

PBS ^ | 9/29/2005 | PBS

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"It was the age of selfishness. It was the age of self-indulgence. It was the age of anti-authority. It was an age in which people did all kinds of wrong things."

- Ed Meese III, U.S. Attorney General, Reagan Administration

"It was absolutely exhilarating. It was the greatest time to be alive ever, for sure."

- Charles Kaiser, Author/Historian

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Southside Indianapolis here!

In Simpson's world, that was capitol city to us.... only the domain of high school field trips!

[RightWhale]

That's true. It seems we go a little out of our way since then to pick leaders we know are flawed. If somebody seems too effective, we try to knock them down a peg--Frist, Delay being currently getting hammered.

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There were a lot of swinging salesmen and looney lawyers. You wouldn't believe the kinds of things that went on in offices in those days.

Were their initials WJC and HRC?

[MamaB]

You would enjoy talking to my mom then. She is 101. She has told many, many interesting stories of her youth and getting into her dad's medicinal whiskey! Her younger brothers got a little too happy. One fell off a high porch and they thought it had killed him. Then, there was the story of when she and a bunch of young teens were riding in a wagon and it went off the road and hit a big rock. Kids went flying everywhere.

[wingman1]

"Oh yeah. One quarter I realized I was "out of phase" and that if the draft board realized it, I was rice paddy bound. It ended up OK and I was fortunate to keep my deferment. But, there were several days where I was literally sick with apprehension.

But you know, the draft, the war, the whole ball of crap, were always there, usually lurking in the background, but never gone. You just couldn't escape it."



Thanks.

I have not read truer words in this forum regarding the Vietnam War - even from the 1960s and present day heroes.

[Black Tooth]

Have to agree with you there... my biggest worry was talking one punch by the school bully. Trick or Treating lasted until the neighbors turned out the porch lights....

In the 60s, I can remember all the kids in the neighborhood playing after the sun went down in the summertime! Little kids too.

Can you imagine letting your 8 year old play outside after dark in todays world? Frightening.

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I think that the mass media is the source of most of the troubles we see in the country. Always promoting dissension and anger, promoting immorality, mocking standards, cynically reporting on religion, the Scouts, and normal people

Exactly right. The media should be raising standards of civilization (as they think they are) not lowering them (which they are).

[Alissa]

Being from this generation, I can honestly say the mandatory DRAFT provoked all the anti-war actions in the 60's. Without the draft, the protestors would not have been given their status. I was on a college campus during Kent State. It was totally a surreal time from my perspective today. I went from a Goldwater girl to a raging liberal, almost exclusively from the influence of my college professors and peers. It took 20 years from then, to make my transition. (Basically because I became a mother and my career was progressing. I bought into the super-mom BS big-time. I was not paying any attention to politics.)

Nixon is totally under-appreciated and not credited for getting rid of the mandatory draft, which is only one of my reasons for having so much contempt with today's liberal democrats and the media. NO Republican should EVER FORGET HOW THE LEFT TREATED NIXON.

[Cogadh na Sith]

Young people, in particular, were denouncing the traditions and norms of the establishment.

That led to:

higher taxes
more bastard children
inflation
Islamic extremism
lower wages
welfare queens
AIDS
crack cocaine
disco music
end of the space program
bombing Belgrade
Tuol Sleng prison
North Korean nukes
end of the Pledge of Allegiance
the therapy nation
abortion
divorce
latchkey kids (thanks, mom...)
feminism
Blackhawk Down
the housing bubble....

Thanks, Baby Boomers. Thanks a heap....

[wardaddy]

BTTT...me too.

[SuziQ]

What's amazing about all this nostalgia for "the 60's" is that the event everyone thinks epitiomized the whole generation only involved about 1/3 to 1/2 million people at the most. Woodstock is held up as the be all and end all of our generation, and most of us didn't even know that it was going on! Those who attended were mainly college students and kids who were upper middle class and up enough to afford the travel to an obscure little town in New York.

Most of my generation didn't attend Woodstock, and though many tried to emulate those who did, most of my generation weren't hippies and never pretended to be. It was the media that portrayed a whole generation as the tune in, turn on, drop out type.

[Texican]

MamaB:
My dads sister, (my aunt) just turned 102 last May. I live in California, and we went to Amarillo Tx to her birthday. We will be going to her 103rd next year too. She still has all of her facilities and does her own house and yard work. A wonderful lady. I am glad that your mother has lived long enough for you to enjoy. Being 81 myself, my parents have long ago passed away. I still work 8 hours a day, on the darn computer about three or four hours every day too. (Ain't live wonderful??) I have been married to my wonderful wife for 60 years. We just took a two week trip and drove 3970 miles just the two of us. Did a lot of "bonding" too.

Good evening and the very best to you and yours.

Semper Fi
Tommie

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The 60's were good because we were young.

sigh...you got THAT right! Those WERE the good ole days!

[Black Tooth]

Hell, you could got to a doctor without insurance and pay cash for the visit.

And the waiting room wasn't packed to the gills and our doctor spoke English so good we could actually understand him.

Now, even with insurance now, there are a team of people scrutinizing everything you do, and generally saying, "Sorry sir, that's not covered"----Next!

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Thanks guys, that is the the type of thoughts I wanted to hear from someone who actually experienced the situation. Being drafted is so far out of comprehension for today's average person.

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In the 60s, I can remember all the kids in the neighborhood playing after the sun went down in the summertime!

In the 70's, we couldn't play Kick the can or flashlight tag until AFTER the sun went down!

[Texican]

Operation:
I very seldom throw flames here on this forum. I have been here for many years and have learned that it is wise to hold my temper. My lovely wife of 60 years and I have attended many rallies, protests and other Freeper events too. I think that my sign in mumber is in the five thousands. Now I think we have in excess of 150,000 members and Lord only knows how many Lurkers. Jim has done a wonderful thing in starting, and supporting this fourm like he has. My wife and I have met Jim and his lovely wife on three different occasions too. Well I have rambled on to long now.

Good evening and the very best to you and yours.

Semper Fi
Tommie

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NO Republican should EVER FORGET HOW THE LEFT TREATED NIXON.

In some ways, he was their best friend.. EPA,etc.

[wingman1]

Let me quote Ed Meese in the beginning of this thread.

"It was the age of selfishness. It was the age of self-indulgence. It was the age of anti-authority. It was an age in which people did all kinds of wrong things."

I don't believe the 60s were the beginning of "the" age of selfishness or self indulgence. There are parables that warn of the same. Same with people doing all sorts of "wrong things".

I would agree that it was an age of "anti-authority" or better still, an age of questioning authority.

Robert MacNamara's first book proves this. Nixon's "Peace With Honor" does the same.

I don't put my trust in Ed Meese, either.

[ChildOfThe60s]

My dad was a 20 year old Marine at Gualalcanal in 1944. I am fortunate to have this. I take it out, look at it, and I think about what it means.

He was just about the most honest and loyal person I have ever known. Yep, a Marine.