The Good Old Days weren’t really that great

We need to look to the future with the compassion that has made America a great nation

Recently, there has been talk from some of the supporters of Donald Trump that they want to turn the clock back to a better time. What does that mean, better times? My dad used to say that these are the Good Old Days.

If we turn the clock back 50 years, we had the unrest of Vietnam, high inflation and long lines to purchase gasoline.

If we turn the clock back further, we were fighting World War II on two fronts, trying to survive as a free nation. After that, we were in a Cold War, where we did not know if we would be blown off the map in a nuclear war.

We have always had perceived threats to our way of life.

Prior to the 1930s, there were no unemployment benefits, no Social Security and no disability insurance if a person was hurt on the job. Work-related injuries, and deaths on farms, factories and in mines usually destroyed families.

Some of the reasons families were so large were to help work. Child labor laws were unheard of until the early 1900s.

For most of our history, the vast majority of Americans have struggled to put food on the table or get a decent job. The 1950s looked good because a large number of Americans had jobs.

But remember that, while we were getting along much better than in earlier times, the rest of the world was flat on its back from the destruction of World War II. There was no competition for American industry.

This began to change in the 1960s and 1970s.

For most of our history, White Anglo Saxon Protestants controlled the politics in our country. Women did not have the right to vote.

Young people do not remember that a big issue in the 1960 election between Richard Nixon and John Kennedy was that Kennedy was Catholic. Many Protestants were concerned that Kennedy would turn to the pope to make decisions.

As a white male, I cannot begin to pretend to understand the hardships of the black, Asian, Latino and Native American populations.

My wife is Latino. I used to hear stories from my in-laws of the prejudice and poverty, which, while somewhat better than in earlier times, still exist today. The historical treatment of the black and Native American populations is an evil stain on our nation’s history.

Diversity has always been a part of the American saga. In the 1800s, Americans were prejudiced against the Irish, Asian, Italian, Eastern European, Jewish and all other immigrant groups. They were perceived as different and dangerous.

But the Good Old Days were not so good for many people. Every era had serious struggles to overcome. But I would like to think that these struggles have made us a better people.

Advances in technology and science have completely changed the American landscape. Medical breakthroughs have allowed people to live a lot longer than their ancestors.

Just clean water and better understanding of food preparation have dramatically improved the survival rates in children. It was not that long ago when it was common for families to lose one or more children to disease. Every day, advances are being made. Inventions make our lives easier. Now, people take cellular telephones for granted. Social media was unheard of not many years ago.

I wonder if people realize how lucky we are to have automobiles, clothes and dish-washing machines, vacuum cleaners, etc.

These are the Good Old Days. There is much uncertainty today with terrorism. But times were uncertain with Adolf Hitler and the communism of the Cold War.

If we are to survive as the greatest country in the history of civilization, we must make every effort to listen, try to understand and appreciate our differences as a people. The reason our nation is great is because we are a compassionate people who believe that ALL people on this planet have the right to live their lives as they wish.