Back to the 60s
Many of us remember the 1960s but when we
do we put our own lens on the era. For some, the 1960s was the era of peace and
love filled with tremendous unrest and upheaval of the status quo. The civil
rights movement new-wave feminism to a burgeoning counterculture movement
gave rise to a conservative movement, Others upset by all of the unrest started
quietly in the 60s to move toward a more conservative world view. This movement
gained strength during the rise of
Barry Goldwater and the eventual election of Richard Nixon, cumulating with the
election of Regan in the US and Thatcher in England.
As is befitting for such a significant
period, the speeches, songs, and rallying cries of the time proved to be
particularly powerful and distressing. The 60s were a transformative era with a multitude of voices reflecting
the diverse perspectives of the time. Here are fifteen quotes that capture the
essence of the progressive movement, the conservative movement, and the unrest
of the period:
Progressive
Movement:
- “I have a dream that my four little
children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by
the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.” –
Martin Luther King Jr., 1963 - “Make love, not war.” – Unknown
origin, popularized during anti-Vietnam War protests - “The personal is political.” –
Carol Hanisch, feminist slogan - “Question authority.” – Popular
counterculture slogan - “Free your mind, and the rest will
follow.” – En Vogue, “Free Your Mind” lyrics, 1992
(reflecting ongoing sentiments)
Conservative
Movement:
- Extremism in defence of liberty is no
vice…moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” – Barry
Goldwater, 1964 - “We believe that the Constitution of
the United States is the greatest single document ever penned by the hand
of man.” – Barry Goldwater, 1964 - “I am not a consensus candidate of
the left or of the right. I am a man of the moderate middle.” –
Richard Nixon, 1968 - “We shall overcome when we can say to
every man or woman who is a Negro, in a spirit of brotherhood, ‘You are
free.'” – Richard Nixon, 1968 - “Our great modern Republic. May those
who seek the blessings of its institutions and the protection of its flag
remember the obligations they impose.” – Lyndon B. Johnson, 1965
Unrest of the
Period:
- “Hell no, we won’t go!” –
Vietnam War protest chant - “Come mothers and fathers throughout the land And don’t criticize what you can’t understand, Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command.”
– Bob Dylan, lyrics from the song “The Times They Are
A-Changin’,” 1964 - “Power to the people.” – Black
Panther Party slogan - “We are the Unwilling, Doing the
Impossible, For the Ungrateful.” James L Kinsey, Unwilling Warriors:
Surviving the Vietnam War - “The whole world is watching!” –
Chant during the 1968 Democratic National Convention protests in Chicago
These quotes reflect
the dynamic and often conflicting ideologies that shaped the 1960s and
continued to influence subsequent decades. Many of
these quotes still ring true today as our children and grandchildren continue
to face some of the same struggles, we went through during the 60s. For many of
us who were and still are progressive, it is hard to stay true to our ideals. Minority
groups are still fighting for equal rights, war still ravages much of the
world, and the arts continue to thrash against the sterility of corporate
culture, and I could go on, but I won’t. In summary, these quotes act as
navigational guides to remind us how far we’ve come and how far we still have
to go.
Originally Published on https://boomersnotsenior.blogspot.com/
