Karen's View on History - 1968 plus

Karen’s View of History

Yes, I’m back looking at History.  

First a slight replay.

I commented as I looked at the early 60s about the shock of President Kennedy’s assassination.  Don McLean might have a different idea as the sang “The Day the Music Died”, but looking at the 1960s, a bit of death in America died on November 22, 1963, with his death.  More on my idealistic views died as the United States sent forces to Vietnam.

Vietnam became a huge divide in The United States. As the country moved to the 1968 election, Vietnam became an issue.  There was a huge pressure on Lyndon Johnson - who proclaimed on March 31, 1968, national address announcing that he would not seek a second full term, saying "I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president."

Vietnam had cut deeply so deeply that the sitting President, a successful President - who had campaigned a needed Civil Rights act, and even set up for a fantastic moon shot - announced that “enough was enough”.  

The 1968 election was the first time I could vote.  I turned 21 (which was the voting age at that point) on August 24, 1968.  I was a senior in college, I was in love, I was a big man on campus - in the student senate, an officer in the biggest fraternity, a residence hall assistant, in the concert band and more.  (I even placed at a couple of chess tournaments).  

The political world was in turmoil.  The Republicans nominated Richard Nixon (with Spiro Agnew as the Vice President candidate); the Democrats fought very publically.  Eugene McCarthy from Minnesota (where I was going to college) was the major anti-war candidate of the Democratic Party.  Robert Kennedy was also a forerunning in the Democratic Primaries - but was assassinated on June 5, 1968.  Hubert Humprey (also from Minnesota) eventually became the Democratic presidential candidate.

And, if that wasn’t enough, George Wallace from Alabama ran as a third party candidate promoting racial segregation.  

Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated on April 4, 1968.  

My country - our country was becoming the “Wild West”.  John Kennedy - assassinated in 1963; Martin Luther King - assassinated in 1968; Robert Kennedy - assassinated in 1968; protests against the Vietnam war in my communities (mostly colleges); infighting politically between anti-war candidates - and even white/black segregation.  

The Democratic Convention was in Chicago in the summer of 1968.  Famous Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley promised peace for the convention - but that didn’t happen.  Protests with the Chicago Seven disrupted the convention

From Wikipedia about the Chicago Seven:

“Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, and Lee Weiner—charged by the federal government with conspiracy, inciting to riot, and other charges related to anti-Vietnam War and counterculture protests that took place in Chicago, Illinois” during the Democratic Convention.  

Could America survive?  Was this going to be a Civil War - but not North and South this time, but liberals versus conservatives?  It was also within families as parents who grew up during the Depression and World War II were confronted with their children who took different political views.  

There were other factors - the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was now in effect - and the Black population now was enabled with the right to vote.  

Nixon won the fractured election with 43% of the popular vote and Humphrey with 42% of the popular votes (but Nixon garnering 301 electoral votes to Humphrey's 191 electoral votes.) 

As I opined the other day, America is still split from the 1960s.  Indirectly Vietnam has etched its way into the American psyche.  

The disillusionment with “Politics as Normal” is still being debated today.  

Just a brief look at some of the political outcomes since that time.  

The 1968 winning President/Vice President candidates of Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew were disgraced.  Agnew eventually pleaded “no contest” to charges of tax evasion relating to kickbacks from contractors in Baltimore.  Nixon seemingly authorized a break-in at a Watergate office relating to 1972 election.  Nixon was impeached by the House of Representatives (but acquitted by the Senate) and resigned - leading eventually to Gerald Ford being the old President who was not elected as either President or Vice President to hold that office.  

In the 1990s, a Republican House impeached Bill Clinton (largely do to the morality of sex with an intern); in 2019, a Democratic House impeached Donald Trump (also largely on moral grounds) - both of which were not upheld by the United States Senate. 

There is still unrest in many American’s souls from the “politics as normal” process.  We talk ‘ethics’ - but don’t live it.  

And, again, we have a Presidential Election year (2020) with ethics considerations by the Republican incumbent and candidate (proclaiming “Make America Great Again”).  On the Democratic side we (at this date) two leading white male candidates in the upper 70s.  

I am reminded a song for this:  

“Let there be peace on earth

And let it begin with me

Let There Be Peace on Earth

The peace that was meant to be

With God as our Father

Brothers all are we

Let me walk with my brother

In perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me

Let this be the moment now.”

The other thought that comes to mind is:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,

And wisdom to know the difference.

As I grow into my old age, I am proclaiming Love is the Answer; love one another; love your enemies, love your neighbor as yourself.  

As a nation that proclaims “In God we Trust” on our coins and “God bless America” - it seems like we just can’t agree what that means.  (But, the idealist in me, still refuses to roll over and die yet!!)

Hugs!!

Karen