I am 71. It occurred to me this evening that most on this board are likely a "few" years younger [View all]

[Atticus]

than me---like 30---40---50? And while I make no claim to superior ability or intelligence, I think that maybe I recall a time that younger people may have difficulty understanding or even believing. Before what's left of my often frazzled mind departs, allow me to file a report from the '50s and '60s.

"Conservative" hasn't always been a synonym for "mean". Many, such as Everett Dirksen, Dwight Eisenhower or Chuck Percy, were people with whom we could disagree but respect. They had a different view of how the government should be operated but, believe it or not, we just considered them "wrong", not "bad".

And, the term "liberal" was a label proudly worn by nearly all in our party. Back then, being a liberal, at least in my small town corner of the world, simply meant that one favored labor over the corporations, farmers over the elevators and most underdogs against those above them. Oversimplified---Democrats were for the poor and Republicans were for the wealthy.

Some assholes were Democrats; some were Republicans.

It was a gradual process but, over the years, an effort was made to associate "liberals" with "socialists" and then, "socialists" with ---OMG! ---"COMMIES!" During those same years, "conservative" was associated with "God-fearing patriots".

How was this done?

A few handfuls of uber-rich conservatives owned most of the major newspapers and, by virtue of the millions of advertising dollars spent annually by their business interests, they controlled many of the radio and tv stations. Finally, their monetary contributions and endowments permitted them to influence what scholars researched and wrote about. All in all, the moneyed few sought to determine what---and who---was "acceptable" and "good" and even "American".

That was the beginning of how we got to where we now are as a nation. I'm sure others could chart the changes with more expertise and authority, but that's how I saw it.

The good news? You younger people are smarter and more tolerant than my generation.

That's worth what it cost you.