Steps to equality were taken for granted
President Trump, Roy Moore reflect nostalgia for a ‘Mad Men’-style society
Those of us who were born and raised after the civil rights movement, the anti-Vietnam War movement, and who remember celebrating Earth Day in elementary school are very distraught, confused and frustrated by the current events in our national dialogue. We never questioned the fact that every American has the inalienable right to equality under the law. When gay people demanded marriage equality, it seemed a no-brainer; when we saw the potential for a clean energy future, we were 100 percent on board; and now when we see politicians trying to roll back that progress it is incredibly disheartening.
There can be no doubt that part of the current American discourse revolves around a sense of nostalgia for times past. Those times are reflected by (President Donald) Trump and Roy Moore, with this “Mad Men” -style society where a genteel suburban or rural lifestyle evokes a time of safety, opportunity, community and belonging. While it’s easy to understand where that nostalgia comes from, as they and many of their followers were beneficiaries of that time period, it’s hard to reconcile those beliefs with all we’ve learned since.
We learned that behind the genteel facade of politeness and hospitality was a disdain, at worst wickedness and at best apathy, toward minorities, immigrants and the poor. For generations, these people lived in the shadows, hardly benefiting from the decades of growth that accompanied post-WWII America. While the white middle class was buying new houses and new cars and sending kids to college, unthinkable for most middle-class families today, these communities were being excluded from the jobs, schools and neighborhoods they wanted and the opportunities they had earned.
We are forever indebted to the brave activists who exposed this cruelty. These leaders exposed the “common wisdom” fraud that women were happier staying home and didn’t fret not having opportunities equal to men’s, that blacks and other minorities were happy being relegated to specific parts of town where they could be together, and that our lifestyles couldn’t possibly impact the safety of our water, air and even our climate.
There can be no doubt that we took those efforts for granted and just assumed that progress would march forward toward a more just society. Sure, there were many departures from that path, but this presidency has shaken that faith to its core. We’ve never heard a president sow such division and spread such vitriol about our country’s institutions. While many of us hoped that we would pull together and reject these divisive and deluded messages, watching the bravery of women calling out sexual harassers, the takeover of the Virginia Legislature, and now the incredible black turnout in Alabama, it’s beginning to feel like the sun is rising over the United States of America again.