
I was born in 1962, on the precipice of the turbulent and societal changing "Summer Of Love" and The Hippie Era.
I always thought growing up that it was a given that progress is good, that the future held amazing things that would advance mankind and that our world was slowly and steadily moving towards "a better world" that would benefit all people.
Well, to be honest, it was more like... " Ah, that's some cool shit! Wonder what else I will see in my lifetime?"
Nevertheless, at no time did I think that the future held bad things, at least not for mankind as a whole. I could envision myself having hard times ahead, but surely my country would only get better, right?
Even a cursory look at a history book (remember those things kids?) would show a steady march of improvement.
Gone was the practice of sticking people's heads in ovens to cure them of madness like in the Middle Ages.
Gone was the habit of blood-letting to rid the body of "excess humours" to cure everything from the flu to syphilis.
Gone were the days of cruel despots and kings killing their subjects for failing to doff their caps at royal processions, gone were debtors prisons, gone were peasants toiling in the fields, gone was indentured servitude.
No, we were America! Land of the Free, Home of the Brave and in the immortal words of Timbuc3..." the future's so bright, I gotta wear shades"
So what happened? Why do I go to sleep at night wishing I were Marty McFly and wishing I could climb into my own DeLorean and whisk myself back to 1955?
Why do I look around at my country now and see the very things that made America great evaporating before my very eyes?
Gone is the notion of exceptionalism, that our country is great because of our ideals.
Gone is the idea of equality for all, now supplanted by Affirmative Action and race quotas, most recently highlighted by the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor, celebrated for her "compelling story" and an overabundance of vowels in her name but wholly unqualified to serve on the highest Court in the land.
Gone, forever I fear , is the idea that a man that works hard and obeys the law will prosper in this land and that his children will be better off than he was.
Gone is the antiquated belief that our elected officials should be working for the good of the people. Instead,it has been replaced with a mix of cronyism and political spoils system that benefits a favored few.
In fact, as I type this, I can't for the life of me think of one traditional American ideal that we as a people still recognize and have faith in.
Every right enumerated in the Bill of Rights is under attack now, right now, in our once great country. It makes me cry, it really does.
So, what now? What do we do?
I don't know about you, but I'm gonna give ol' Doc Brown a call.