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You'll Forget This Ever Happened


Secrets, shame, and adoption in the 1960s—a poignant tale of a mother's enduring...
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How do you feel protests today are different from those in the 1960s, and how do you think they're similar?

Created: 02/16/23

Replies: 9

Posted Feb. 16, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

How do you feel protests today are different from those in the 1960s, and how do you think they're similar?

The author notes a riot in a nearby park, with the Black community demanding access to the whites-only beach. Had you heard about this protest, or others of the era? How do you feel protests today are different from those in the 1960s, and how do you think they're similar?


Posted Feb. 16, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
kelev52

Join Date: 11/10/22

Posts: 8

RE: How do you feel protests today are ...

A world of difference! Single women have babies all the time without the backlash of humiliation and disgrace that they experienced 50 years ago. As a child, i remember feeling like my adoption was a “dirty secret” (a common feeling back then), even though my parents were always open with me.


Posted Feb. 16, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
mceacd

Join Date: 07/03/18

Posts: 132

RE: How do you feel protests today are ...

Some of the protests today involve the same subject, racism, but in the 1960s many laws singled out and deprived nonwhites of basic rights. Women had few independent rights and rightly felt they were equal to men. Plus, an entire generation of men were at risk of being drafted to fight in VietNam. Finally, many in the Boom generation were concerned by the excesses of consumption as opposed to unity of humankind. Protests were mostly nonviolent. It was a very different time.


Posted Feb. 16, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
rebeccar

Join Date: 03/13/12

Posts: 548

RE: How do you feel protests today are ...

Some of the reasons for protests are a little different today because the USA does not have a draft. Many people didn't even know our country was involved in years-long/ decades-long warfare overseas in other countries because of the volunteer army. Some of the issues- sadly- are still dragging on.


Posted Feb. 18, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
WADoc's Gravatar
WADoc

Join Date: 02/18/23

Posts: 6

RE: How do you feel protests today are ...

It is hard to say it but in terms of reproductive freedom, we may be going backward. The threats from the right to curtail all abortion and even contraception are very scary. I would have died in 1971 if I had not been able to travel to New York City, where abortion was legal. Even following an abortion at a medical clinic, I got a blood clot in my leg. The talk today suggests jailing and fining people who "assist" someone who has had an abortion. Would anyone have risked their profession by aiding me? Antiwar protests were a big part of my life in the 60's and 70's. The only guns I worried about were carried by the National Guard.


Posted Feb. 20, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Joyce

Join Date: 10/14/21

Posts: 79

RE: How do you feel protests today are ...

There has been a lot written about the similarities and differences between protests in the 60's and present day protests. Unfortunately, subject matter is similar: racism, women's rights, and gay rights. Reaction is similar with riots after killings (MLK, Michael Brown, et al). Marches are similar (Poor people's march, March on Washington, Women's March, Gun control marches). And unfortunately when Trump ordered the national guard to end the peaceful protest march in Lafayette Park, I was reminded of the National Guard killing four students at Kent State for protesting the Vietnam War, memorialized in the song by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, "Four Dead in Ohio".

Differences: 60's protests were more limited in real estate. If you didn't live in or near an urban area you might not be aware of what was happening. Social Media was non-existent! Today there are wide-spread protests throughout the country (George Floyd). Also the protests in the 60's were generally associated with a leader, (MLK, Stokey Carmichael, Huey Newton and the Black Panther party, Abbie Hoffman, Gloria Steinman). And protests today are much more ethnically and racially diverse then they were in the 60's.


Posted Mar. 02, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
skagitgrits's Gravatar
skagitgrits

Join Date: 02/24/17

Posts: 64

RE: How do you feel protests today are ...

The protests in the 60s and 70s were for equal rights for minorities and women. For equal education, for integrated schools, equal job opportunities and better pay equity, for example. For reproductive freedom ..remember in the 60s and 70s as a woman you couldn't get birth control pills without your husband's or parent's permission!!

There were great strides made but there is still a lot to do and we've seen some "back sliding" these last few years. Many of the protests today are for the same darn things! It is still the younger generation leading the efforts but the difference today is there are more of the older generation, we boomers, right there marching in the protests and supporting the effort as much as we can.

The 60s and 70s were violent; the 2000s are violent. And, do you notice it's the same kind of faces and haters we saw in those early days?


Posted Mar. 02, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Joyce

Join Date: 10/14/21

Posts: 79

RE: How do you feel protests today are ...

There is a great opinion piece in the Washington Post today (3/2/23) entitled, "Today's civil rights movement is so different from the '60s". It reflects many of the comments of the discussion participants on this topic.


Posted Mar. 04, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
nancyh

Join Date: 06/25/13

Posts: 347

RE: How do you feel protests today are ...

What I feel is the same is that we have been protesting the same things for over sixty years and we still aren't there. In fact, I agree with WADoc that we seem to be going backward. We are losing some of the gains we have made. We have made progress in the matter of women having babies outside of marriage, some women do it on purpose. We have not made enough progress in the fact that the men are also involved in this and must accept their responsibility


Posted Mar. 05, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
caroln

Join Date: 04/14/11

Posts: 101

RE: How do you feel protests today are ...

So disappointed, we are protesting the same issues as the 50 & 60's. Why? As a society we are taking one step forward, 2 backwards. Society seems to accept women having babies outside of the marriage, however a woman is still responsible for raising that child, very few men accept their responsibility. As for civil rights, some changes but not what is needed for us to live together peacefully. I am concerned for the morals of our country, the land of the free. So many of our citizens live in fear for their safety. When will this ever be resolved?????


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