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Except if you were Black, Russian, coloured or from another race, Gay, pregnant and unmarried, an Atheist, or different in any way shape or form and had a mind of your own.... The 50s look wonderful on paper, on close scrutiny though, they tell a slightly different story.
No decade is perfect. But for standard of living (crime rates, employment, recreation, etc) the '50s did very well.
And the reason why so few women were pregnant and unmarried was because the values and morals were much higher then.
And look what happened when unmarried mothers became more or less accepted... the percentage went from less than 10% in the '50s to well over 20% now (and it's probably 30+%).
No decade is perfect. But for standard of living (crime rates, employment, recreation, etc) the '50s did very well.
And the reason why so few women were pregnant and unmarried was because the values and morals were much higher then.
Even when unwed mothers were forced to walk in shame wearing scarlet letters, they still had unmarried sex and got pregnant. Coercing pregnant couples to get married did not *necessarily* produce blissful 1950s marriages, either. Life was not a page from "Life" magazine.
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And look what happened when unmarried mothers became more or less accepted... the percentage went from less than 10% in the '50s to well over 20% now (and it's probably 30+%).
It's probably over 30% now, but teenage pregnancy is not the main cause.
Women are now postponing marriage, but they might not delay childbirth.
The history of women's reproductive rights is long and interesting, and probably would be a good thread on its own.
Even when unwed mothers were forced to walk in shame wearing scarlet letters, they still had unmarried sex and got pregnant. Coercing pregnant couples to get married did not *necessarily* produce blissful 1950s marriages, either. Life was not a page from "Life" magazine.
They still did, but at a far, far lower rate than today. In fact, you can't even compare it because it's gone up so much. This not from "Life" magazine but from those who lived through the era.
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It's probably over 30% now, but teenage pregnancy is not the main cause.
Women are now postponing marriage, but they might not delay childbirth.
The history of women's reproductive rights is long and interesting, and probably would be a good thread on its own.
Oh, teen pregnancy is a major cause. And it does show the breakdown of society and the collapse of morals.
They still did, but at a far, far lower rate than today. In fact, you can't even compare it because it's gone up so much. This not from "Life" magazine but from those who lived through the era.
Oh, teen pregnancy is a major cause. And it does show the breakdown of society and the collapse of morals.
I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.
I think a lot of what happens today happened quite frequently back then, but it simply did not get the attention it gets today.
And as I said before, a marriage that takes place *because* of pregnancy is not necessarily a match made in heaven.
I think that there is always a tricky relationship with human beings and their sense of personal responsibility, but the spotlight seems to shift from decade to decade.
Growing up in America in the 1950s was truly idyllic . It was a time of both innocence and prosperity. It ended quite abruptly with the sixties (around 1966) , though.
I would like, I think , to have lived in the forties in a small town somewhere, sort of like It's a Wonderful Life.
I would love to go back in time just to visit ancient Rome in AD 30 or so during the time of Caesar Augustus . It must have been spectacular.
Since I grew up in the 50's (born 1950) female and mixed blood ndn, I think the late 60's and early 70's was a wild time...yes we were Hippies but we were also activists...it was a time of change and hope for me. I thought we could change the world...LOL. We did bring attention to the war and eventually we stoped it. We brought attention to womans rights, racisim, AIM was started...EARTHDAY=ecology! There was so much change during that time...They even have documentary's on that era now!
Oh and the music...wonderful!
If had to do it over again, I would do umm errr less embibing...LOL I think I would have tried harder to pry my ndn heritage from my family. I would have been more active in some of the associations than I was.
There was so much more we could have done collectively, but again they were WILD times and we were not always focused...LOL
The only other time I would like to have lived is Pre-contact North America with my tribe.
I remembered the first vehicle that I ever owned was in 1957 Chevy Bel Air convertible in 1960, later I had a 1958 Impala convertible, and then a 1959 Chevy convertible, I grew up during a time when you could understand the words of the music, gasoline was $.15 a gallon, loaf of bread was a nickel, and a gallon of milk was about $.50 and delivered to your door, for $.50 I could go to the movies get a large bag of popcorn and soda and see two movies in a serial afterwords with the nickel that I had left over I could go to the drug store next door to the movie theater and get a cherry coke. I even remember when man first set foot on the moon. Now those were good times
Except if you were Black, Russian, coloured or from another race, Gay, pregnant and unmarried, an Atheist, or different in any way shape or form and had a mind of your own.... The 50s look wonderful on paper, on close scrutiny though, they tell a slightly different story.
Exactly. I can't believe how many people on here would want to go back to the 1950s. I don't want to ride on the back of the bus!
So many people paint a dark picture of today without realizing how far we've come. I agree with all others who said that the time is now. I couldn't agree more. Yes America's facing some serious problems, but truthfully when has it not? When has the world as a whole not faced serious problems? When have we as individuals living our own daily lives not faced serious problems? If there were such times, they were short-lived. That's just the nature of life. The key to enjoying life is to 1) have the right attitude and not let these things get you down, and 2) solve whatever problems you may have. Pragmatism and an optimistic attitude go a long way both in our personal lives and even in global affairs and the shaping of U.S. domestic and foreign policy. Wake up people, the time is now. This year's almost over, and 2008 is almost here. Our jackass of a president will be out of here in a little over 12 months from now. Personally, my future's so bright I gotta wear shades
I feel like the same can be said for the U.S. as well, provided our elected officials as well as the ordinary people of this country stay hopeful and optimistic and fight to make this country better and reach a common ground on the issues that divide us.
I guess a big reason why I feel the need to say this is because at work last night a couple of my coworkers were having a conversation about the state of affairs in America and felt that America was a sinking ship and that in the next several years America would go the way of the Roman Empire around the time of its fall to barbarians in the 5th century A.D. I laughed and told them that things could only get that bad if we let it. Yes there's a lot of bad going on this country, but we need to count our blessings and look at the things we're fortunate enough to have, and realize we don't have it the worst. Even in places where people arguably do have it the worst (much of sub-Saharan Africa, Russia, the Middle East) people go on with their everyday lives and make strides to improve their lives. If it means emigrating to someplace like the United States or Europe, then so be it. If it means staying and trying to make their society a better place by doing things like trying to end the genocide in Darfur or the American occupation in Iraq, then so be it.
I've been around the world and I swear Americans have got to be some of the most pessimistic, misery-loves-company-attitude-having people on the face of the earth. And yet we have more to be thankful for than 99% of the world!
It's all about attitude, people. All about attitude. 2007 (and soon to be 2008) is the best time to be alive, because it's NOW. The time is NOW. Yesterday's gone, the only good that yesterday serves us is as a history lesson. Other than that, it's gone, and it's gone for good. The future is not yet here, and who knows how much better your life and the world can become in the future? All it takes is the effort of a few good men (and women) who decide that they're not going to throw a pity party for themselves and their country and will do what they can to improve things, even if they don't look promising.
I'm fully aware of the serious problems that the U.S. is facing today - outsourcing of American jobs to the developing world, economic and political competition with China, the falling value of the dollar and the rising value of the euro, the continuing American occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan, the war on terrorism, rising inner crime in our inner cities, the meth epidemic, etc. But I also know that none of these problems will ever be solved or come close to being solved with the attitude many Americans have, such as "well America's going downhill and there's nothing we can do to stop it." If you believe that, then I can pretty much guarantee that you won't stop it and that things won't change.
America has faced tough times before - World War II, the Great Depression, the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Kennedy Assassination, the Vietnam War, etc. All tough times that are arguably worse than what we're going through today. And yet we pulled it through. So why can't we do it now?
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Last edited by AQUEMINI331; 12-03-2007 at 07:56 PM..
The future. Specifically that time period when (hopefully) space travel will be available for the majority. I would dearly love to travel into space, experience weightlessness, walk on the moon, see Earth from that perspective, go to Mars, wander through the Asteroid Belt, coast around Jupiter, return home with those memories, or perhaps find that I prefer it "out there" and just stay.
Exactly. I can't believe how many people on here would want to go back to the 1950s. I don't want to ride on the back of the bus!
I realize I pulled just a portion of this, but I wanted it for reference.
Most people don't realize how many "stay-at-home" wives were alcoholics in the 1950's. Hubby went to work, kiddies, went to school, wife went to a neighborhood sit around with other wives and drank martini's! All was not perfect then.
Besides you shouldn't have to ride in the back of the bus. What kind of idiocy was that, anyway?
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