Are we on the ‘Eve of Destruction’?
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
BY: I.M. Leakey
Mississippi Spirit
I have always been a fan of the protest songs of the 1960’s. Songs like “For What its Worth” by Buffalo Springfield or “Eve of Destruction” by Barry McGuire were two of many songs that described the country’s sentiments at the time, but think about it a minute and you will hear a ringing of truth even today.
In the 60’s, we were dealing with an unpopular war in Vietnam, Civil Rights and the integration of our public schools, political assassinations and the rise of the counterculture. It was a time when our society was feeling its growing pains. While these songs described current events of the time, they can also describe the world today. In “For what it’s Worth,” there is a line that says “There’s battle lines being drawn…Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong.” Think about it a minute, you have the Democrats saying they are right, while the Republicans are wrong and vice-versa. Thus, “Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong.” McGuire sings in “Eve of Destruction” “I can’t twist the truth, it knows no regulation …When human respect is disintegrating…This whole crazy world is just too frustrating.” Human nature is to think my side is right and the other side is wrong, but sometimes we all may be wrong. McGuire addresses that in this one line: “You can hate your next-door neighbor, but don’t forget to say grace.” Have we become so self -centered that we have forgotten our religion when it comes to our political views? Today we have issues like immigration, the Iran War, the rising cost of food and gasoline, our deep political polarization and gun violence. This hits home with all of us in one way or another.
Throughout American history, we have seen great surges in patriotism that have brought us together as one country. Think about our grandparents when they heard about the bombing of Pearl Harbor or how you felt as we saw the twin towers fall on September 11, 2001. Yes, to some, we are engaged in a war that, as it drags on, may become as unpopular as the Vietnam War, while others will say it was something we had to do to preserve our way of life. Something only history will tell.
As we approach the country’s 250th birthday, can’t we put all but our differences aside and show that “We are Americans” despite our differing views, and can’t we work together to try to bring us back to the forefront that made America Great. Remember, “Everybody look what’s going down.”
Keeping it fluid.
