Archive: Opinions

As someone who came of age during the 1960s and the the author of "Until The Birds Chirp: Reflections On The Sixties", I disagree with two of the claims made by Casey Stevens in his column of April 24, 2020 in the Lansing Star.

He asserts that the Baby Boom generation didn't end the Vietnam War and that the older generations at the time were solely responsible for its cessation. This isn't true. Mr. Stevens gives short shrift to the impact Boomers had on their parents' and grandparents' eventual disapproval of the war. I contend that my generation played a major role in stopping that unfortunate American tragedy. The student-led antiwar movement was the most powerful force influencing the public during the late 1960s. Among the people they convinced were the older generations.

By the time I entered college in 1968, many demonstrations and educational teach-ins had occurred throughout America. Those events led to the nationwide Vietnam Moratorium in October and November of 1969 in which I was involved. Thousands of college students across the land cooperated with civic and union organizations for the purpose of spreading the truth about The United State's unnecessary and unjustified war against Vietnam. However, it was the inclusion of Vietnam Vets, who were also part of the Boomer generation, that galvanized the movement when the Vets joined with students and other organizers against the war.

My campus antiwar group in Connecticut was bolstered by the presence of those Vets. They had witnessed the horrendous casualties and deaths of their buddies in the fields, the burning of villages, and unwarranted attacks upon women and children. They saw carnage close up and wanted it to stop. They knew that protests and activism were necessary, including those Vets who threw away their medals near the Capitol building in Washington D.C. Parents and older relatives of young Americans took notice and started to believe the war should end.

On May 4, 1970 (50 years ago this coming Monday), during student protests against the U.S. invasion of Cambodia, the murders of four students by the Ohio National Guard occurred at Kent State University. It was an eye-opener for older Americans. They saw young people shoot other young people and asked themselves why? Why is a National Guard troop killing student protesters? Is the war coming home? That's when growing numbers of older Americans shook their heads and said,"no more war."

My second disagreement with Mr. Steven's column is his stereotypical claim that the Baby Boom generation sold out their idealism and betrayed their values. According to Stevens, an entire generation "...retreated into our '70s cocoon of platform shoes, disco, and Mary Tyler Moore..." But that's not what happened. Millions of young people during the 70s, without banners, headlines, or fanfare became teachers, scientists, doctors, inventors, and lawyers in communities all over the United States. They developed new businesses by thinking outside the box and discarding old frameworks and dated methods.

There wouldn't have been places in Tompkins County like Green Star, the Ithaca Farmers market, solar-powered homes, and the Alternatives Federal Credit Union without Sixties ingenuity. Many boomers stayed true to their beliefs that all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion and sexual preference deserve to live life on an even playing field, therefore they established numerous non-profit advocacy groups to accomplish those goals. Some of these practices eventually became part of laws and regulations established by legislators from that generation. The myth that most Boomers became greedy, self-absorbed yuppies is just that...a myth.

Sincerely,

Marc A. Catone
Lansing, NY
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