When I woke up this morning, I read Noweasels' diary and I had to agree totally. 62 years ago today on a cold and grey Michigan morning I was born.
By the time I turned 21, the so-called "Dawning of the age of Aquarius" was in full bloom. We were full of hope and promise and we were sure the world was changing for the better. "Harmony and Understanding, Sympathy and Trust
Abounding........." The 70's were a time of sexual freedom and drug experimentation. I know they say the 60's were, but that was only in the coastal big cities. By the early to mid 70's kids younger than me were dropping acid and going to their high school classes. We were all dropping out of reality.
And, by that time, I was living in New Orleans. In 1970, I knew women who'd damaged their reproductive systems with back alley abortions.
When Roe v Wade was decided in 73, I naively thought the issue was settled.
38 years later its still an oozing sore picked regularly by the right in order to obscure other more important voting issues.
We thought the world was becoming more tolerant. We thought that "Love is the Answer" We believed in the future and its promise. They told us that in the future, people would be working 4 day work weeks.
People were talking about ecology. I even pondered a career in environmental biology. I thought for sure the US was on its way to cleaning up our water and our air and protecting the planet for future generations.
40 years later, guys like the Koch brothers spend bazillions in order to continue polluting our lakes and rivers and streams and our soil.
We started eating healthier. Vegetables and fruits and organics.
The phrase: "You are what you eat" came into being.
40 years later, Palin thinks asking parents to limit their children's sugar intake is tyrannical oppression.
And 40 years ago, no one would have predicted the anti-science climate deniers. But they're here.
40 years ago, the safety net was safely in place. Who could have imagined that ordinary folks would vote for politicians who major aim is to dismantle social security and medicare and vote down the only legislation we've had in 40 years to address our failed health care system.
I'm an Aquarius. My birthday is today, Feb. 6th. I was a visionary.
I was an idealist. I believed in the American dream. I believed things would always change for the better. In my vision, everyone would have a chance at a better life. Everyone would have enough food to eat and a roof over their head. Everyone would have a quality education that would
enable them to rise out of poverty and achieve.
There's another Aquarius who was born on Feb 6th. His name was Ronald
Reagan. I don't think we shared the same vision. I know the righties
celebrate him as a hero, but I think his policies are the reason that
the "Dawning of the Age of Aquarius" fizzled out.
Anyway, just my thoughts and Happy Belated Birthday to my fellow liberal
Aquarian, Noweasels.
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