America in Eclipse - Opening Remarks

Having been born in the mid 50's in New York City, I was raised in a time of turmoil for America. We had just pulled out of the "Korea Conflict", and were plunging headlong into the "Vietnam Conflict". The Cold War was in it's heyday; we were taught to get under our desks and pull our coats over our heads to protect ourselves from flying glass and fallout when the Russians dropped atomic boms on us. As a society, America was splitting apart. The Civil Rights Movement came to a head, for one thing. Then, the younger generation; those who were being sent off to fight and die without any valid reason given. Our generation questioned, our generation did not trust authority blindly. We revolted against the War in vietnam, we protested against the government, we were gunned down at Kent State by the same paternalistic government that was telling us we should follow the directions of leaders that knew what was best. We stood our ground and wouldn't take no for an answer. The aftermath of this was a more intelligent attitude toward the government. More and more of what was happeneing was revealed in the media. The American Press was finally able to report more than just casualty reports and placating statements on how the war was going. Popular opinion forced the government to reflect on many of it's policies. People no longer voted the Party Line, but started making electoral choices based upon knowledge of the candidates, subjects, platforms and consequences. It started to look like we might have a chance to take back our country from the old line political machines and Special Interest Groups. But over the next 40 years, what happened could best be described by the Walt Kelly Pogo quote: "We has met the enemy and they is us!"