I was too young to fully comprehend the Cuban Missile Crisis at the time, but I was very aware of most of the turbulence of the 1960s. I think your take on what has changed is spot on. I see it everyday; the rush to conclusions before all the facts have been established. People allowing their emotions to inform their positions rather than waiting to see what develops before coming to conclusions. And worst of all, the inability to change regardless of how incorrect those positions taken are.
I was hoping my resident history teacher would chime in!! Thank you for your thoughts, Rey. When my parents talk about the 60s, I can't imagine what it felt like to live through all that upheaval.
To be honest, I think for most of us through most of the decade, it was life as usual. It really wasn't until the end of the decade that events began to have a direct impact. I remember the images of the Tet Offensive on the news in January of 1968 and Walter Cronkite's reporting, and my parents beginning to express serious concern about the war. For me, 1968 was probably my true awakening to the world of politics and its impact on daily life. Of course, the assassinations of Dr. King and Senator Kennedy were devastating, but what hit home was the Democratic convention taking place in my back yard and the chaos that was associated with it. That's when I probably began my lifelong passion for political science, government and history.
It is truly frustrating to feel there is nowhere you can go for truth about anything except scripture. And it's tiring listening to all sides of any issue claim the righteous truth when you know they're all lying about some or all of it. It makes me feel a bit apathetic about even important issues, and that in turn makes me feel like a terrible person. Meh.
I struggle with apathy, both that I have it, and that I'm struggling to not feel so guilty about having it.
I know I'm not built to know everything and care about everything. None of us are. It's why all the news out there is just killing us. We're basically drowning in mind fog and cortisol because of it. I have to remind myself that I'm a finite creation in this current life, and that means I don't have to expand to pull in the whole world. Just friends and family is okay.
But, you know, in an age where "raising awareness" is a marching cry, that doesn't play well.
There's an author on here I sometimes read and he often, from his vantage point in living in Europe, kind of scolds Americans because of how Europeans view us and the current administration and yada yada yada. I think, really? Who cares?! Why do I have to care about that, now, too, that a bunch of people in London and Budapest don't approve of our nation's action? Isn't it enough that we have our own citizenry to try and comprehend, much less Europe?
This view kind of makes a person feel stupid in a world that prizes the "global citizen" whether that's just a person who is informed about global things or someone prone to actual globalism.
Right now, it's hard enough to figure out what to make for supper. I think God understands.
Very nice post
I was too young to fully comprehend the Cuban Missile Crisis at the time, but I was very aware of most of the turbulence of the 1960s. I think your take on what has changed is spot on. I see it everyday; the rush to conclusions before all the facts have been established. People allowing their emotions to inform their positions rather than waiting to see what develops before coming to conclusions. And worst of all, the inability to change regardless of how incorrect those positions taken are.
I was hoping my resident history teacher would chime in!! Thank you for your thoughts, Rey. When my parents talk about the 60s, I can't imagine what it felt like to live through all that upheaval.
To be honest, I think for most of us through most of the decade, it was life as usual. It really wasn't until the end of the decade that events began to have a direct impact. I remember the images of the Tet Offensive on the news in January of 1968 and Walter Cronkite's reporting, and my parents beginning to express serious concern about the war. For me, 1968 was probably my true awakening to the world of politics and its impact on daily life. Of course, the assassinations of Dr. King and Senator Kennedy were devastating, but what hit home was the Democratic convention taking place in my back yard and the chaos that was associated with it. That's when I probably began my lifelong passion for political science, government and history.
It is truly frustrating to feel there is nowhere you can go for truth about anything except scripture. And it's tiring listening to all sides of any issue claim the righteous truth when you know they're all lying about some or all of it. It makes me feel a bit apathetic about even important issues, and that in turn makes me feel like a terrible person. Meh.
I struggle with apathy, both that I have it, and that I'm struggling to not feel so guilty about having it.
I know I'm not built to know everything and care about everything. None of us are. It's why all the news out there is just killing us. We're basically drowning in mind fog and cortisol because of it. I have to remind myself that I'm a finite creation in this current life, and that means I don't have to expand to pull in the whole world. Just friends and family is okay.
But, you know, in an age where "raising awareness" is a marching cry, that doesn't play well.
There's an author on here I sometimes read and he often, from his vantage point in living in Europe, kind of scolds Americans because of how Europeans view us and the current administration and yada yada yada. I think, really? Who cares?! Why do I have to care about that, now, too, that a bunch of people in London and Budapest don't approve of our nation's action? Isn't it enough that we have our own citizenry to try and comprehend, much less Europe?
This view kind of makes a person feel stupid in a world that prizes the "global citizen" whether that's just a person who is informed about global things or someone prone to actual globalism.
Right now, it's hard enough to figure out what to make for supper. I think God understands.