The World In Which We All Grew Up
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R ecently, House Minority Leader John Boehner gave an interview to The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review in which he - surprise! - criticized Congressional Democrats and Congress.
It was a wide-ranging interview covering subjects like the financial reform bill, which Boehner compared to "killing an ant with a nuclear weapon." (I'm sure people adversely affected by the financial meltdown will be glad to know that the crisis was only an "ant" as far as the Republican leadership is concerned.)
As usual, Boehner trotted out one of the catchphrases of the American right: a professed yearning for, as he put it, "the America he grew up in," which he claims is being "snuffed out" by those awful Democrats.
Well, according to Brother John's Wikipedia page, he was born in 1949. So the "America he grew up in" saw the Red Scares, the polio epidemics, the Korean War, McCarthyism, the Berlin Wall and the hydrogen bomb. It also was the era in which the Vietnam War began, although no one really paid much attention at the time. Oh, and let's not forget the overarching and ever-present dread of a nuclear war that would wipe out civilization (fallout shelters, anyone?)
It should also be noted that America wasn't exactly congenial if you were black, brown, gay or disabled, and was pretty doggone restrictive if you were female. If you were an abused child, your plight was more likely than not to be ignored or hushed up.
I joined up with America in 1962. The America I grew up in saw the aforementioned Vietnam War in full bloody flower, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Bobby Kennedy and Malcolm X, race riots, anti-war riots, the 1968 Chicago "police riot," hippies, Yippies, an exploding drug culture, Nixon, Watergate, Charles Manson, an OPEC embargo which led to a gas crisis, an economic crisis, a hostage crisis, "malaise," a major city going broke, Chrysler going broke (and having to be bailed out), polyester leisure suits, disco, and a limited selection of weak, lousy beer that we only drank because we didn't know that there was anything better.
Oh, and there was still that fear that we were going to start swapping nukes with the Russians and wipe out all life on the planet. Consider this, though: The America Brother John and I grew up in also gave us the vaccine that eradicated polio, the GI Bill, the Marshall Plan, the Interstate highway system, Elvis, Chuck Berry, the Civil Rights Act, the Clean Air Act, the Ford Mustang, moon landings, communications satellites, weather satellites, the transistor, the microchip, the MRI ... the list of advancements, societal and scientific, goes on and on.
And now? There are still environmental dangers like the Gulf oil spill, but on average, the country's air and water are measurably cleaner than they used to be. We are able, if we have the will, to give everyone in the country instant access to more information than our ancestors ever dreamed of.
We still have our differences with the Russians, but we don't live in fear that we're going to blow each other off the face of the Earth. We still fear attack, but it's not a world-ending one. Things are not perfect, but they're certainly better, for children, women, minorities, gays and the disabled. And the beer selection is excellent.
The America I grew up in is like the one John Boehner grew up in, the one my children grew up in, and the one that every American child born while you read this column is going to grow up in. It's a place of fear, violence, chaos and injustice. It's a place of hope, kindness, creativity and progress. It's always, as Dickens put it, the best of times and the worst of times.
What America is always doing, though, is moving forward. That progress may be slow, or it moves in fits and starts. That can be frustrating. But there's no going back, Mr. Boehner. The America we grew up in is gone, and it's not coming back. A new one is being made every day on its foundations, just like every day since the country was founded. You can slow that down, but you can't stop it.
Dusty Rhoades lives, writes and practices law in Carthage. Contact him at dustyr@nc.rr.com.
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Comments
sgmartin 2 years, 10 months ago
I hope that you are right and that there is no going back but I seem to sense a growing movement to do just that from people who seem to have forgotten their American history -or are just ignorant and rely on sound bites from certain political entertainers (think Fox) to form their opinions.
Sally244 2 years, 10 months ago
Wow, what a jarring trip down memory lane, nostalgia can be so blinding. Sure, I miss being a clueless child too but we all have to grow up and try to make a difference in our world, or we can always sit around and complain. You've made perfect points on our America today, it seems like John Boehner has just given up trying.
leftfield 2 years, 10 months ago
It's like my friend Bill once said, "They want their country back, we just want it forward."
OldSpook 2 years, 10 months ago
Yea leftfield, just like Greece and Spain.
dustyrhoades 2 years, 10 months ago
"They want their country back, we just want it forward."
I like this.
"I'd have mentioned The Grateful Dead, Credence Clearwater, The Doors, and perhaps most important of all, Lava Lamps and Pet Rocks"
Heh. If I'd had space, I'd probably have mentioned those too...
Behan 2 years, 10 months ago
So...
Evil Republican said this was not the America in which he grew up.
America had some bad times.
America had some good times.
Republicans clearly hate America and want a return to the bad times.
I think that about sums up the intended message.
Just one quick question: Are you seriously trying to pass this off as a legitimate column to an adult audience, or did you stumble upon the first draft of some sixth grader's poli-sci position paper and decide to run it as a joke?
teufelhunden 2 years, 10 months ago
Awww man, you just harshed his mellow...LOL.
dustyrhoades 2 years, 10 months ago
"I think that about sums up the intended message."
Wrong again, Behan. Read better.
Behan 2 years, 10 months ago
Nope, pretty sure I nailed it on the head, but I'll go back and read it again. I hope you appreciate it, because it was pretty painful and awkward the first go around.
You're not exactly Hemingway, ya' know--it's not like I am going to uncover some subtle nuances on subsequent reads that will give me a greater appreciation for your work. Anyway, for you, I will try.
Here goes.
[Insert jeopardy music.]
Yeah, I was right the first time. It was really just a tired old haymaker aimed at the GOP. The right hates all the good things about America, the right hates progress, the right hates minorities, the right hates gays, blah, blah, blah.
So what exactly is it that I missed, Ernest?
dustyrhoades 2 years, 10 months ago
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dustyrhoades 2 years, 10 months ago
Hmph. All I did was suggest that Behan take some lessons in reading comprehension. I sense a bit of a double standard here....
Behan 2 years, 10 months ago
Aww...and I never even got to see it.
Shame. I bet it was a real zinger.
Guess I'll sign up for some lessons. In the meanwhile, perhaps you can enlighten this poor, simple soul as to the "point" of your column. A bit of clarity is all I seek, you see, a glimpse into the inner thoughts of such an esteemed and enlightened columnist.
dustyrhoades 2 years, 10 months ago
Behan, why don't you read the comments of people who actually have understood the column?
And while you're at it, why don't read some actual Brendan Behan?
Like his quote: "There is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary."
Behan 2 years, 10 months ago
Dearest Dusty:
I tried to follow your advice, to no avail.
From what I can tell, sgmartin has an unrelated hangup with Fox News. No clarity to be found there, but then I noticed her professional calling and stopped looking for any type of clarity.
Sally apparently enjoyed reminiscing about either race riots or Chuck Berry. Unclear at this point which it is, but I guess both can be a real hoot. Kind of a unique approach on Americana, I suppose.
Jimt misses his lava lamp. Shine on you crazy diamond.
Leftfield is incapable of mustering anything more than the left-wing equivalent of "if you aren't with us, you're against us." You applaud his remarks. You both ooze awesomeness.
So, upon more careful scrutiny of the four "Rhoades scholars" in Moore County, I remain as confused as ever. Please provide more clarity as to where I went wrong in my interpretation of your column?
RmeMP 2 years, 10 months ago
@behan,
i have to agree with you; i read this "column" 2x and i just can't understand what DR is trying to say, except for simply trashing the opposition of his views. wow, this is what he gets paid for by the pilot now? lol
what DR alluded to, is the fact that boehner was talking about how fed up americans are with this government not listening to them - not representing them (them being the majority), and how this fact will be shown come november; boehner said, during the speech DR is attempting to tear apart, "Right now, we've got more Americans engaged in their government than at any time in our history. There's a political rebellion brewing, and I don't think we've seen anything like it since 1776."
also since you only want to point out one quote from boehner talking about the financial reform bill - i thought i would include another, "What's most needed is more transparency and better enforcement by regulators"; is this such a bad thought that you would conciously omit it DR?
i also wonder why you failed to mention the praise that boehner gave oblunder for the war in afghanistan? i guess some things in "our" country aren't really changing after all - one sided "columns" being written by someone only wanting to degrade the opposing party without telling the whole story and letting the readers form their own opinion...
dustyrhoades 2 years, 10 months ago
Well, Behan, there's your trouble. You spend so much time filtering what you read through your assumptions of what people ARE that you don't actually pay attention to what they SAY.
Sorry, there's no hope for you as long as you keep that up.
And I think I've fed this troll enough.
leftfield 2 years, 10 months ago
Did I just get compared to Dubbya?!
Awesome!
teufelhunden 2 years, 10 months ago
RmeMP-well said.
Behan 2 years, 10 months ago
Disappointing, Dusty.
lindy888 2 years, 10 months ago
Seems to me it would be right good...if laws were enforced by the Feds..also might be a better day if our supreme of court would again interpert the laws as written....not the brilliant though that just passed through their empty heads..... I was born it 1936 in Robbins, I remember during the war...being so proud of my Dad and Uncles for serving in the war... We were poor ..really poor after Dad volunteered for the service of his country....no doubt..today He would be stupid for doing such a thing.. I remember bright stars at night, breezes coming through open windows. no locked doors,wells full of pure cold water... I hope someone of you understand what is meant by change...sit down and think about it....I really can't create the picture you poor folks need to know about....damn....feel so sorry for you.....
dustyrhoades 2 years, 10 months ago
"We were poor ..really poor after Dad volunteered for the service of his country....no doubt..today He would be stupid for doing such a thing.."
Are you saying our volunteer troops are "stupid"? For shame...I've certainly never said such a thing.
"I remember bright stars at night, breezes coming through open windows. no locked doors,wells full of pure cold water..."
And now we have air conditioning and indoor plumbing. But we still open the windows when it's cool enough. You want to do that, or turn off your AC and go back to fetching water, the President or the Congress won't do a thing to "snuff that out."
teufelhunden 2 years, 10 months ago
Down boy! Grrr
leftfield 2 years, 10 months ago
""I was born it 1936 in Robbins""
Really, nuff said.
teufelhunden 2 years, 10 months ago
Again, pull your fangs out. Really.
TheNeedle 2 years, 10 months ago
"And I think I've fed this troll enough."
Thank god. These little back and forths of yours may amuse you and whoever your bete noire du jour might be, but the rest of us find them tedious after the first couple of volleys.
lindy888 2 years, 10 months ago
sorry. I was trying to get you thinking .....about a differant time.easy going....ole corn cobs...stars and love for one another and their families....don't want to think do you? just cut people down.....Well, what you say is so sad....just words from a sower old bunch who are scared as hell about whats going to happen to you.......best you get back to those d.u.i.'s and speeding ticket....by the way...they sell toilet paper now..just letting you know to be on the look out....
leftfield 2 years, 10 months ago
"sorry. I was trying to get you thinking .....about a differant time.easy going....ole corn cobs...stars and love for one another and their families....don't want to think do you? just cut people down.....Well, what you say is so sad....just words from a sower old bunch who are scared as hell about whats going to happen to you.......best you get back to those d.u.i.'s and speeding ticket....by the way...they sell toilet paper now..just letting you know to be on the look out...."
Huh? Are you going to TP Dusty's house?? lol
KarenH 2 years, 10 months ago
Behan, you're the bomb. The school yard bullies are toast in your hands. All they have left is the name calling.
lindy888, I enjoyed your remembrances and totally agree, things were clearly simpler, less stressful back then with a little less of the hustle and bustle and because we're focused on positives. It was 1958 for me.
nothingspecial 2 years, 10 months ago
I agree. Behan, you are a breath of fresh air and I am but a cave man in your commentary shadow.
leftfield 2 years, 10 months ago
Behan is a savior to the Moore County conservative movement. He is the one guy here who can formulate a full sentence and uses correct punctuation.
leftfield 2 years, 10 months ago
How's this one, Flactem?
Fun with photoshop. It's all jokes...
Behan 2 years, 10 months ago
Thank you for the kind words!
lindy888 2 years, 10 months ago
do you reckon dr has clothes with right sleeves and legs....would seem to be such a waste
leftfield 2 years, 10 months ago
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leftfield 2 years, 10 months ago
Flactem, Yes it's that picture. When I uploaded it, I thought you could click the thumbnail for larger size. Oh well, I'll keep it for awhile. I totally agree with you about putting yourself out there. We have some common ground after all. :)
Bflat 2 years, 10 months ago
I've seen the 1st TV, 2 holers and Sears & Roebuck catalog, Montgomery Ward, corn shuckings, priming and stringing tobacco, tying sacks on a combine, Farmall A, Buddy Holly, The Platters, relatives coming home from the Korean War, Fast Food drive ins, crinoline petticoats and bobby socks, Arthur Godfrey, Ed Sullivan, Trickie Dick, inventors like Bill Gates that have changed our world, hippies and flower children, beach music and shagging, Twiggie, bell bottoms, poppie bead necklaces, skate keys, surf boards, GTO, Plymouth Fury, Food Fairlane, Chevy Impala, 409s, gutted mufflers, cruising from one end of town to the other, drive in movies, The Beatles, Four Tops, Temptations (and others), Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Johnny Cash, Porter Wagoner, Dean Smith, Junior Johnson, Dave Pearson, Richard Petty, Ralph & Dale Earnhardt, Rockinham Speedway and N Wilkesboro. ...and yes, fallout shelters (who would have wanted to be alive after a nuclear explosion?)
Oh wait...I'm getting carried away reminiscing. Progress is being made but we should never lose sight of how we got to where we are today. There are still challenges to overcome.....like our memory of the events of 9-11, no cure for cancer or diabetes and other life threatening diseases, the financial mess our country is facing and the political quagmire that plagues us on many levels.
Oh yeah...cell phone outages recently reminded some of how dependent we've become on those. How about when the electricity is off for 2 hours while lines are being repaired? You can't pump gas or check out at certain stores. Progress........
dustyrhoades 2 years, 10 months ago
Bflat: you remind me of this bit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1CZTLk-Gk&feature=related