Phil Ochs said it. I agree. I served my time, marched my miles. Signed an infinite number of petitions. Fought on the right side, believed in the good guys.
Now … I’m retired.
You, younger people. Yes, you. The ones on the sofa swigging beer. It’s your turn.
Go protest. Carry signs. Fix the world, because I ain’t marchin’ anymore.
Peace and love my friends. Carry the torch for me!
Daily Prompt: Breaking the Ice
Share this:
Categories: Music
WHY WE DON’T GIVE UP 
WHAT USED TO BE 
LET’S HAVE ANOTHER PIECE OF PIE 
DREAM ON 
SERENDIPITY - SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 
I’ve always been out there. But now I take my son along (when it’s too sketchy). But my mom’s still out there marching with me too. We’ve got three generations on the street at times!
LikeLike
Good for you! In my lifetime, problems that seemed solvable have grown so monumental, I despair of making progress before we do ourselves in. The environment alone is such an overwhelming mess … I’m glad there are still people fighting the good fight. My generation really thought we were going to change things and in the end, though we did raise awareness in a variety of areas — especially the environment — the only real, lasting change we made was making denim fashionable. Not much of a legacy for people who were going to end war and save the planet.
LikeLike
Oh it’s not so bad- we’re less racist, less sexist, miles less homophobic. There’s a lot still to do, but your generation did make a lot of progress.
LikeLike
On racism and homophobia, I agree. In that single area, we did well, although the man who should get a lot more credit than he does is Lyndon Baines Johnson. The man fell on his sword to get the Civil Rights Amendment passed. Hardly anyone seems to realize that he killed himself politically to get it done because he absolutely had committed himself to it and traded in every political favor he had to achieve it. I don’t know any other pol or president who ever did that.
LikeLike
LBJ was a giant among presidents.
LikeLike
And never gets the credit he deserves. He screwed up getting us in even deeper in Vietnam, though JFK started the mess … but on the home front, he was the only president between FDR and now who got significant legislation passed — life changing, world changing — legislation on the home front. Garry spent some time with LBJ in Vietnam. Not just “official” time. Hanging out by the campfire time. I’ll have to republish that post if I can find it 🙂
LikeLike
Woah that’s awesome. I wish I coulda met him. Until 2006 I never had a point when I was thinking “oh things are might be going a direction I’m happy with” 2008-2009 was really the first time I was excited
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m republishing that post on 8/27. Garry did some editing and added some context/history about LBJ. Sometimes we forget it happened a long time ago. For me and Garry, it’s not history. It’s memories.
LikeLike
Oh awesome I’ll keep an eye out for that
LikeLiked by 1 person
I asked my dad about this once- about what he felt his generation achieved, and I think you’re not giving yourselves enough credit. The gap between him and his father was one I never felt with my own dad. I also feel like our society is less racist, less sexist than it used to be. It’s not perfect (far from it), but your generation mostly left the world better than it was before.
LikeLike
I would like to think that, but sometimes, I look around, and it’s such a godawful mess. Maybe we didn’t make it worse … maybe we even helped a little. But there’s still a frighting amount that needs fixing and I don’t see many people out there working for solutions.
LikeLike
One of the best songs ever. But I’m not marching either.. 🙂
LikeLike
It’s time for younger people to put on their comfy shoes and get out there. Their turn. We served our time.
LikeLike
Oh Marilyn, that is so true. It is always the old that lead the young to war. Somehow if there were more manufacturing and a better business atmosphere, better schools. What a wast of potential. To have the participation in a war as the only opportunity for ones’ future. That is just so sad.
Leslie
LikeLike
I’m not sure it has ever been different. I know I sound cynical — I AM cynical — but the history of humanity is the history of war and conquest and extermination. It’s not confined to one culture, religion, race, time, or place. It seems to be hard-wired into human DNA. Sad, yes. And I think inevitable. I don’t think we will solve it because WE are the problem. People are the problem.
LikeLike
You are probably right. We just keep making the same mistakes over and over again. We are the problem and we can be the solution too. There are many good people out there. We just have to find them and make them our leaders.
Leslie
LikeLike
We keep reverting to following the same old symbols — flags, religions, race. US — whoever WE are — against THEM — whoever THEY are. Throughout history it’s been the same. It was the same 2000 years ago and assuming we don’t self-destruct, it will be the same in another 2000 years. I don’t personally think we are going to change because I don’t believe we want to. I see no evidence to support future change.
LikeLike
That is where I disagree with you. At some point we will reach a critical mass that wants change and is willing to go the whole night yards to get it. We must never lose hope.
Leslie
LikeLike
I want you to be right and I want ME to be wrong 🙂
LikeLike
Me too. But I do see where you are coming from. We must never lose hope. I just saw Sachmo sing “It’s a Wonderful World” and it really is.
Leslie
LikeLiked by 1 person
No we will stop war here – and many other terrible things, but don’t we have to try anyway?
Frankly i find the apathy of todays youth very disturbing. Are they protesting in ways I can’t see ?
Nor do I understand politics. It’s well known that China (for instance) has been conducting huge cyber attacks against American and Canadian government and companies.
Outside of Korea, they are the poster boy for Evil Empire. So why are we still doing business with them?
LikeLike
We were doing business with them while we were still boycotting them “officially.” Money talks. In the end, it’s all “just business.” The rest is hype. Why do you think I’m so cynical?
LikeLike
Remember the sixties? We all marched for banning the bomb, but it wasn’t banned.
LikeLike
No, it wasn’t, but we sure did make denim the most popular fashion fabric. That’s something, right?
LikeLike
LOL, definitely and we got some exercise in the fresh air
LikeLike
And met people. It was a highly social form of protest. At one point, a big protest disbanded as it marched past a local department store and everyone realized they were having a sale.
LikeLike
Thank you for all that you have done, even if I do not know exactly what it was, if you were part of the solution and not part of the problem, then I salute you.
LikeLike
Who knows if I helped or hurt? I tried to do the right things. That’s what I know. I think that’s all any of us ever know.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I sit on my couch a lot but rarely with a beer. I think that makes me exempt from sign carrying.
LikeLike
I’m not much of a beer fancier either, but I do love my sofa! I think I’ve earned a comfortable place to sit, at the very least.
LikeLike
WWGD?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Probably go back to the Navy Yard and let other people deal with it. Not his kind of battle (“not my circus, not my monkeys”).
LikeLike