Fall 2024 pre-election
I wrote this post a few years ago. Dr. Mowry's observations about social changes and consequent conflicts seem even more pertinent.
Dr. Mowry was a highly regarded Historian who had done extensive research in early twentieth century America, particularly the 1920's, sometimes called "The Roaring Twenties" His book, The Twenties: Fords, Flappers, & Fanatics provided an inside look at several of the cultural conflicts prevalent at the time. By all accounts that era brought a lot of life-changing inventions and attitudes to American society. It was also a time of tremendously repressive laws, groups, behaviors. For example, a resurgent KKK terrorized large segments of the population at the time.
Great changes have a way of provoking great anxieties and impulses to enforce conformity to the values of a once powerful societal group that sees its advantages threatened. Mowry observed, "Societies do not give up old ideals and attitudes easily; the conflicts between the representatives of the older elements of traditional American culture and the prophets of the new day were at times as bitter as they were extensive. Such matters as religion, marriage, and moral standards, as well as the issues over race, prohibition, and immigrations were at the heart of the conflict."
And, at such times the things that the 'stronger' inflict upon those deemed 'different', 'inferior' or a 'threat' stagger decency, civility, kindness, common humanity, compassion, and other such humane virtues.
We do not have to be 'professional' historians to recognize that we are living in an era that provides huge challenges to the longing for the 'way things used to be' (or presumed to have been). Even a cursory reading of the history of the American people (even in pre-Revolutionary War times) provides strong evidence that efforts to 'turn back the clock' do not prevail in the long run. Often the anxiety goes 'under ground', to reappear in different manifestations the next time great societal and cultural challenges loom.
Well, maybe there is truth in the late George Santayana's observation that "those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it. " Is there yet validity in Bob Dylan's 1964 warning to those who resist when "The Time's They are a'Changing"?
VOTE !!!
Satchel
My mother, for every year past her 70s until her death just shy of 100, would shake a finger at we younger ones and say, "Never forget, THESE are the 'Good Ol' Days!'"
ReplyDeleteI have a relative who is constantly forwarding to me things telling what a great time the 1950s were. But they never mention what was happening in civil rights. They never mention the polio epidemics. They never mention Joe McCarthy ... who I met as he came from my home town ... and the ruination of the lives of innocent people he presided over. They never mention the Cold War. They never mention the Korean War. They never mention the Hungarian Revolution.
Ah, yes ... what great times those were!
A contrarian view, perhaps...
ReplyDeleteFor my brother Mark and me, the early 1970s were an especially magic time. We were both deeply interested in the American Civil War, and purchased a metal detector so that we could relic-hunt at various sites in eastern North Carolina.
One of my professors (Ed Holloway) at then-Atlantic Christian College told me about the O.R. volumes (Official Records of the War of the Rebellion) then stored in the dank, dark basement of Hardy Library. If I remember correctly, I believe that they were kept in pasteboard boxes (perhaps I’m mistaken about that). In any case, I immediately pulled out several of the volumes that had to do with events in North Carolina.
One of the first places that my brother and I took our detector was five miles south of Newbern on a battlefield alongside the railroad leading toward Havelock. All of this was based on a map of the battlefield that appeared in Volume 9 of the Official Records.
Sure enough, my brother and I started finding fired ammunition from the Federals who were advancing north toward the Confederate earthworks. Thus started an avocation that we enjoyed for many years.
We have never forgotten those wonderful days together. Afterwards, we were among the first “amateur archaeologists” to discover the location of Sherman’s camps around Goldsboro at the end of the Carolinas Campaign. Because the Federals camped directly atop the Confederate camps from earlier in the war, there was a wonderful mix of artifacts from both armies. We never knew what was going to turn up. The experience bonded us together as brothers, as little could have--before or since.
Admittedly, all of this transpired during the terrible war in Vietnam, and during a period of great upheaval in America.
But... “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Thus, it was, and ever shall be.
I 'll have to go with Mr. Wenger's comments especially his Dicken's closer. Sometimes a nation's as well as an individuals "best days" are in the past...sometimes as individuals as well as nations, we attempt to relive or recapture that moment...Naturally that is never quite possible... nostalgia can be a tricky subtle thing... No
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