I turned 18 in March of 1968 and didn't have the right to vote although 18 year old young men were being drafted to fight in Vietnam. My high school boyfriend joined the Marines because he had a low draft number. I was focused on earning enough money as a waitress after graduation to buy a car, support myself, and afford classes at the new Junior College, Rock Valley. Many young working people today are focused on surviving and not on politics. We need to educated them about how the world works and get them registered to vote.
Thank you, Dr. Reich for sharing your rich, vibrant, and, at times, agonizing and turbulent history with us.
Again, our nation faces a very dangerous, multi-pronged, internal threat, which has been deliberately stoked for decades now, but as I read elsewhere today: "danger is not destiny."
Hopefully, enough good people in this country will defeat the facistic forces arrayed against what's left of democracy in America, because "danger is not destiny."
The economic news is good but you would never know it if you listen to the right! The stock market, unemployment, inflation, gas prices, etc….. are all showing signs of improvement.
I would also add that if average working Americans Unionize it will allow you to live even better lives.
* Take some of your money back from the oligarchs because you need it much more than they do! Force them to share their wealth.
* What our Congress won’t do the American workers can do.
* Just make sure your Union Leaders cannot be bought by the rich! Trust but Verify
* Now is the time. President Biden has shown that he is Pro-Union.
I remember the history of the era vividly since I was a lowly 22 year old soldier in Vietnam while all the events you described took place during 1968. I landed in country at the end of the Tet offensive on February 5th and rotated out of Vietnam at the beginning of March 1969. While there was little opportunity to protest the war while in country other than defying military orders which would have resulted in my ending up in the stockade, I did participate in many marches and discussion groups once I returned to college. I had first hand knowledge of the hubris of Americans fighting a people and a history we barely knew. It is so easy for a country to get swept away by patriotic fever and oh-so difficult to bring wars to an end. I believe that we Americans still experience the pain and suffering as well as the consequences of Vietnam even today, fifty years later.
Those were heady days. Some of us barely coming of age then, remember parents, aunts and uncles, and neighbors. For many of us, it was the time we were exposed to hatred of fellow Americans because they were not like others. Republicans were the majority in the neighborhood. It was a time when neighbors and relatives were openly cursing and calling for the police to be called in to arrest people who thought and acted differently. Here we are today, and it seems little was learned from that era and the years that followed. Regan happened, Bush 1, Clinton, etc., up to now. I'm much older now, but just as sickened by the course the country is on. There is too much hype, nonsense, fearmongering, and an us vs. them attitude for most of us for the moment. Like many, we’re hoping these turbulent times pass and people get back to having discussions and making decisions rather than making threats and innuendo. Thank you for sharing the story of that time, your work, travels and friendships! Lovely.
I was a sophomore in high school in 1968. All the young men in my class were all anxious about Vietnam and whether or not we would get drafted. Luckily the war would end before most of us turned 18. It was a big weight lifted off of us! Most of my friends agreed that the war was our worst nightmare because we lost many of our friends to a war for no apparent reason! It was a disgraceful situation that we had no say in. I am not ashamed to say I was scared.
I would not even be Bar Mitzvah-ed until September of that year, and yes, I remember the anti-war protests, the riots (and the ones from that previous summer as well), and the horrid assassinations. :(
This whole article is relevant now due to the panic over young voters abandoning Biden, but I cannot see them voting for SCUMp, or the EVIL Kennedy, but maybe one of the other sort of progressive, 'third party candidates', which might as well be a vote for the putrid orange despot. :( :( :(
Yes, this country was about as divided back then on many issues as it is today, BUT, everyone was still in agreement that we should maintain a democratic republic, even if they had very rightwingnut leanings.
NOT so today, when seemingly HALF of this land wants a fascist 'strongman' dear leader, and a dictatorial regime, and to burn democracy (and therefore the whole damned country) to the effing ground.
We are in MUCH more perilous stead today then we were back then, even with all of the strife of that time.
I am hoping that the youth will come back to Biden once they realize that he is the ONLY possible defense of (ALL) civil rights, voting ( at ALL, not just the rights) going forward, our democracy surviving, and is the only hope of ever getting Roe v Wade restored, let alone possibly codified into law.
The third partiers might be more progressive than Joe, but they have a less than ZERO chance of getting elected in this still center right to further right majority nation (even many to most Dems!), as they would most certainly LOSE against the orange NAZI sack of shit.
I think that the dark forces were afraid of King and Robert Kennedy. They were terrified by McCarthy. Just as they were terrified by JFK. Within the span of 5 years the enlightened leaders were all dead. But there is no such thing as a political conspiracy. The anti war movement was crushed by killing students at Kent State and we hippies have been dark ever since. We lost our belief in humanity and goodness. We succumbed to the dark side. Ever since those dark days we have gone down a very slippery slope to trump. Wow! Going from hope to utter despair. I believe that Rob Reiners podcast on who killed Kennedy will bring light to this despair because the maggots and us progressives need answers. If our own shadow government was involved ,like the vampire, light will kill it. We all have to regain our faith in our government. We want answers to who is running our government and to what end. Maybe we are like the people in Russia. Maybe we are mushrooms kept in the dark and fed bullshit!
Wham-0! I didn't expect to start this day with Nostalgia Overload!
What a terrific column (and another anecdote of your lifelong commitment to the Power of Good, Bob. You're an even bigger hero than I knew, bless you!).
I read this with the soundtracks of "Revolution", "White Room", "Scarborough Fair", "Piece of My Heart", "Sky Pilot" and more, playing through my brain cell (I'm your age and, unlike you, only have one functioning cell left in my cranium).
The most striking point here, to me is, "Johnson’s campaign circulated pamphlets saying that “the communists in Vietnam are watching the New Hampshire primary ... don’t vote for fuzzy thinking and surrender.”"
Here we are 55 years later (Holy Crapola! That was fast!) and we have a huge chunk of the (R)egressive party and their chosen lunatic/demagogue, TFG, actively courting Putin and his merry band of the once-feared "communists".
Who would have guessed back in the day that Conservatives were future wannabe Commies?
It was the most consequential year of my life, my entrance into maturity, and the country’s greatest paroxysm during my life. It radicalized me, then receded in memory, and now it is haunting us all again.
Thank you for the recap. It brought back a flood of memories for me, and I realize the events you described plus some particular to my life created the door through which I exited interest in politics. From 1968 until 2008 I got no closer to politics than a voting booth. I was drawn to Obama’s charisma and repelled by the racist reaction of a portion of the country. I approached the 2016 election first with curiosity then with trepidation. As a clinical psychologist, I recognized sociopathy and narcissism in Trump and also saw symptoms of early dementia. I found this terrifying. His election coincided with my retirement and I began studying about things political. In 2020, Joe Biden was not my first, second, or third choice, but I voted for him even though I thought he would be just another old white man in the White House. Boy was I wrong! Today I hold two county and one state office in the Florida Democratic Party and am recruiting seniors for a caucus in the reddest county in the state. Young voters are critical to a Democratic win, but so are seniors. I’m convinced that I’m not the only old person who is waking up to the country’s crisis. Your columns and particularly your videos have given me a foundation for economic talking points in recruiting and in debating Republicans. Thank you.
I turned ten in 68 and had brothers in the service and in Vietnam. I felt as though I was born into a world that was unraveling. Now the feeling the world is unraveling is much magnified. Thanks for sharing your memories, Mr. Reich. You have a way of making us feel as though we were right there with you and Sarah in that VW Bug.
My first car was a Java green '64 VW Beetle, acquired from Ralph Jones VW in Springfield, MA in '67 for the then princely sum of $850. In '68 I was living in Boston, and saw police in riot gear confronting demonstrating students on Mass Ave in Cambridge. While I can't claim to be an active participant, your description of what '68 was like is spot on. I'm getting old now, but you are too, and your energy and enthusiasm are inspiring. Thank you! Time to get involved.
I was an Antioch volunteer for McCarthy when you stopped by to pick up "Sarah". As you may know, the people in the front line of the Chicago demonstrators - beaten by police - were largely Antioch students. 1968 wasn't detestable, it was the beginning of a new world.
Thank you for sharing your rich experiences with us once again Dr. Reich. I was only 16 at that time and a junior in high school, but I remember how traumatizing this series of events occurred effecting everyone nationwide. I also remember that when I was that age and older, I wanted to know read and learn as much as possible about America's past (and everything else) to help better understand the universe and to better participate in the world. My grandchildren share these same values today.
I turned 18 in March of 1968 and didn't have the right to vote although 18 year old young men were being drafted to fight in Vietnam. My high school boyfriend joined the Marines because he had a low draft number. I was focused on earning enough money as a waitress after graduation to buy a car, support myself, and afford classes at the new Junior College, Rock Valley. Many young working people today are focused on surviving and not on politics. We need to educated them about how the world works and get them registered to vote.
Gee, Professor, you might want to write (yet) another book! What a story! What a life you have led…
Let us only hope some of today’s youth with have the spunk and the drive to better this country now, as you and Sarah did back in the ‘60’s.
Your friend in MD,
Anne 🌻💙🙏
Thank you, Dr. Reich for sharing your rich, vibrant, and, at times, agonizing and turbulent history with us.
Again, our nation faces a very dangerous, multi-pronged, internal threat, which has been deliberately stoked for decades now, but as I read elsewhere today: "danger is not destiny."
Hopefully, enough good people in this country will defeat the facistic forces arrayed against what's left of democracy in America, because "danger is not destiny."
The economic news is good but you would never know it if you listen to the right! The stock market, unemployment, inflation, gas prices, etc….. are all showing signs of improvement.
I would also add that if average working Americans Unionize it will allow you to live even better lives.
* Take some of your money back from the oligarchs because you need it much more than they do! Force them to share their wealth.
* What our Congress won’t do the American workers can do.
* Just make sure your Union Leaders cannot be bought by the rich! Trust but Verify
* Now is the time. President Biden has shown that he is Pro-Union.
I remember the history of the era vividly since I was a lowly 22 year old soldier in Vietnam while all the events you described took place during 1968. I landed in country at the end of the Tet offensive on February 5th and rotated out of Vietnam at the beginning of March 1969. While there was little opportunity to protest the war while in country other than defying military orders which would have resulted in my ending up in the stockade, I did participate in many marches and discussion groups once I returned to college. I had first hand knowledge of the hubris of Americans fighting a people and a history we barely knew. It is so easy for a country to get swept away by patriotic fever and oh-so difficult to bring wars to an end. I believe that we Americans still experience the pain and suffering as well as the consequences of Vietnam even today, fifty years later.
Those were heady days. Some of us barely coming of age then, remember parents, aunts and uncles, and neighbors. For many of us, it was the time we were exposed to hatred of fellow Americans because they were not like others. Republicans were the majority in the neighborhood. It was a time when neighbors and relatives were openly cursing and calling for the police to be called in to arrest people who thought and acted differently. Here we are today, and it seems little was learned from that era and the years that followed. Regan happened, Bush 1, Clinton, etc., up to now. I'm much older now, but just as sickened by the course the country is on. There is too much hype, nonsense, fearmongering, and an us vs. them attitude for most of us for the moment. Like many, we’re hoping these turbulent times pass and people get back to having discussions and making decisions rather than making threats and innuendo. Thank you for sharing the story of that time, your work, travels and friendships! Lovely.
I was a sophomore in high school in 1968. All the young men in my class were all anxious about Vietnam and whether or not we would get drafted. Luckily the war would end before most of us turned 18. It was a big weight lifted off of us! Most of my friends agreed that the war was our worst nightmare because we lost many of our friends to a war for no apparent reason! It was a disgraceful situation that we had no say in. I am not ashamed to say I was scared.
THANK YOU for writing this one.
I would not even be Bar Mitzvah-ed until September of that year, and yes, I remember the anti-war protests, the riots (and the ones from that previous summer as well), and the horrid assassinations. :(
This whole article is relevant now due to the panic over young voters abandoning Biden, but I cannot see them voting for SCUMp, or the EVIL Kennedy, but maybe one of the other sort of progressive, 'third party candidates', which might as well be a vote for the putrid orange despot. :( :( :(
Yes, this country was about as divided back then on many issues as it is today, BUT, everyone was still in agreement that we should maintain a democratic republic, even if they had very rightwingnut leanings.
NOT so today, when seemingly HALF of this land wants a fascist 'strongman' dear leader, and a dictatorial regime, and to burn democracy (and therefore the whole damned country) to the effing ground.
We are in MUCH more perilous stead today then we were back then, even with all of the strife of that time.
I am hoping that the youth will come back to Biden once they realize that he is the ONLY possible defense of (ALL) civil rights, voting ( at ALL, not just the rights) going forward, our democracy surviving, and is the only hope of ever getting Roe v Wade restored, let alone possibly codified into law.
The third partiers might be more progressive than Joe, but they have a less than ZERO chance of getting elected in this still center right to further right majority nation (even many to most Dems!), as they would most certainly LOSE against the orange NAZI sack of shit.
I think that the dark forces were afraid of King and Robert Kennedy. They were terrified by McCarthy. Just as they were terrified by JFK. Within the span of 5 years the enlightened leaders were all dead. But there is no such thing as a political conspiracy. The anti war movement was crushed by killing students at Kent State and we hippies have been dark ever since. We lost our belief in humanity and goodness. We succumbed to the dark side. Ever since those dark days we have gone down a very slippery slope to trump. Wow! Going from hope to utter despair. I believe that Rob Reiners podcast on who killed Kennedy will bring light to this despair because the maggots and us progressives need answers. If our own shadow government was involved ,like the vampire, light will kill it. We all have to regain our faith in our government. We want answers to who is running our government and to what end. Maybe we are like the people in Russia. Maybe we are mushrooms kept in the dark and fed bullshit!
Wham-0! I didn't expect to start this day with Nostalgia Overload!
What a terrific column (and another anecdote of your lifelong commitment to the Power of Good, Bob. You're an even bigger hero than I knew, bless you!).
I read this with the soundtracks of "Revolution", "White Room", "Scarborough Fair", "Piece of My Heart", "Sky Pilot" and more, playing through my brain cell (I'm your age and, unlike you, only have one functioning cell left in my cranium).
The most striking point here, to me is, "Johnson’s campaign circulated pamphlets saying that “the communists in Vietnam are watching the New Hampshire primary ... don’t vote for fuzzy thinking and surrender.”"
Here we are 55 years later (Holy Crapola! That was fast!) and we have a huge chunk of the (R)egressive party and their chosen lunatic/demagogue, TFG, actively courting Putin and his merry band of the once-feared "communists".
Who would have guessed back in the day that Conservatives were future wannabe Commies?
It was the most consequential year of my life, my entrance into maturity, and the country’s greatest paroxysm during my life. It radicalized me, then receded in memory, and now it is haunting us all again.
Thank you for the recap. It brought back a flood of memories for me, and I realize the events you described plus some particular to my life created the door through which I exited interest in politics. From 1968 until 2008 I got no closer to politics than a voting booth. I was drawn to Obama’s charisma and repelled by the racist reaction of a portion of the country. I approached the 2016 election first with curiosity then with trepidation. As a clinical psychologist, I recognized sociopathy and narcissism in Trump and also saw symptoms of early dementia. I found this terrifying. His election coincided with my retirement and I began studying about things political. In 2020, Joe Biden was not my first, second, or third choice, but I voted for him even though I thought he would be just another old white man in the White House. Boy was I wrong! Today I hold two county and one state office in the Florida Democratic Party and am recruiting seniors for a caucus in the reddest county in the state. Young voters are critical to a Democratic win, but so are seniors. I’m convinced that I’m not the only old person who is waking up to the country’s crisis. Your columns and particularly your videos have given me a foundation for economic talking points in recruiting and in debating Republicans. Thank you.
I turned ten in 68 and had brothers in the service and in Vietnam. I felt as though I was born into a world that was unraveling. Now the feeling the world is unraveling is much magnified. Thanks for sharing your memories, Mr. Reich. You have a way of making us feel as though we were right there with you and Sarah in that VW Bug.
My first car was a Java green '64 VW Beetle, acquired from Ralph Jones VW in Springfield, MA in '67 for the then princely sum of $850. In '68 I was living in Boston, and saw police in riot gear confronting demonstrating students on Mass Ave in Cambridge. While I can't claim to be an active participant, your description of what '68 was like is spot on. I'm getting old now, but you are too, and your energy and enthusiasm are inspiring. Thank you! Time to get involved.
I was an Antioch volunteer for McCarthy when you stopped by to pick up "Sarah". As you may know, the people in the front line of the Chicago demonstrators - beaten by police - were largely Antioch students. 1968 wasn't detestable, it was the beginning of a new world.
Thank you for sharing your rich experiences with us once again Dr. Reich. I was only 16 at that time and a junior in high school, but I remember how traumatizing this series of events occurred effecting everyone nationwide. I also remember that when I was that age and older, I wanted to know read and learn as much as possible about America's past (and everything else) to help better understand the universe and to better participate in the world. My grandchildren share these same values today.