In 1970, I started college at a local Catholic University. I was 17-1/2 years old living at home. Despite that college at the New York City University system was free, St. John’s University was the only school that my mother would allow. Her reasoning was that the college president had kept the campus calm during the 1968 riots and uprising. I had a small regent scholarship for the tuition, and my father was able to pay the rest that year. Since it didn’t affect my future indebtedness, I agreed. It was a better choice for me, I could take the full load of 18 credits each semester, I had required courses in theology and philosophy, and it was only 1 bus to get there. At Queens College in the NYC system, it would be difficult to schedule more than 15 credits, and it also took 2 buses to get there.
In 1970 we were in the middle of the upheaval of the Vietnam War and changing norms. At college, everybody wore items of clothing as signs of resistance. Then there were posters and stickers for notebooks and buttons to wear or put on your bookbag or knapsack equal to today’s backpack. I also had a lapel button that just said LOVE. There were stickers and buttons that showed an popular illustration by R. Crumb “keep on truckin’ “. Another favorite was “Don’t let the turkeys get you down.”
These images and phrases were all about encouraging the resistance to the war and to the authoritarian push by the Nixon and older generation messages. A real generational divide kept growing.
I was part of the movement to lower the voting age from 21 to 18 years in New York State. This was part of the movement that stated if you were old enough to go to war then you were old enough to vote for those who had the power to send you there. This movement, like every other one, asked politicians to look at war and its morality. There were outcries and protests, most peaceful even if confrontational. Earth Day also fell into this era. All of it was met with one single response: “America, Love it or Leave it.”
Can you imagine, promoting voting rights and civil engagement was considered radical and anti-American?
That was the first widespread fever that took over middle America. Granted the societal changes were rapid. Women had a role in business above the steno pool; Blacks were given status and included in new places. That alone was frightening to a world that had pretty much stayed static for so long.
We all had hoped that time would heal, and we would be a long way from that attitude. But…
This last week, I heard senior Republican Leadership label the peaceful “NO KINGS” rally as anti-American and some labels much worse.
Thank you for all the 7 million who peacefully assembled to be a light of patriotism, maintaining that the American Fag belongs to all of us, and upholding our Constitution’s Bill of Rights.
Today, I wear a paper clip necklace as today’s sign of resistance to the current administration and the majority Party that oversees the House of Representatives and Senate. They are veering away from our inalienable rights to the freedoms of speech, press, assembly, and voting rights.
“Power corrupts; Absolute Power corrupts absolutely.” I know there are good people here, but I am a 72-year-old white woman who has decided that she needs to carry her citizenship identification. What does that say about those in charge?
thoughts keeping me awake 