I'd thought of that as a way of defining my youth -- those were America's days of alcohol, tobacco, and firearms, things interwoven into the popular culture.
That, and there were common notions of decency, and people knew right from wrong even though they misbehaved sometimes, and people dressed up to go shopping downtown or to go traveling, and ladies wore head coverings and gloves, especially when attending church.
>>... especially when attending church
What is this “church” you speak of?
Red Nightmare (Jack Webb/1962)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHv-83x58B8