I Miss the Normalcy Compared to Now

Lewkat said:
Late 40s through the 50s were the best of times. We actually liked each other. What a great time that was.
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I was too little to know, but from googling it seems like there was a Korean War and McCarthyism back then. Plus racial discrimination and lack of opportunity for women.

Children are probably not the best historians, since hopefully they were being insulated from the fears and worries that were happening.
 
HoneyNut said:
Children are probably not the best historians, since hopefully they were being insulated from the fears and worries that were happening.
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Most of us remember worrying about the bomb - a fear that was reinforced monthly with "duck and cover" bomb drills where we'd hide under our desks or take cover against the inner hallways of our schools.

In the 50s-mid 60s, most American children were terrified about a nuclear war with Russia.
 

I remember those creepy "test of the emergency broadcast system" on TV and radio. The sound was meant to be gut-wrenching in nature.

Here is a modern spoof:

 
Crime peaked in the early '90s and has been steadily declining ever since.

You could have fooled me. Where I live there are shootings and stabbings by knives everyday. People robbing stores nonstop. I went to a Dollarama today to buy cat food. Big guard standing at the door. Go to most grocery stores and they often have 2 city police officers standing there with their sidearms clearly visible. Yes, this is Canada. I used to see a guard with a shotgun in front of a bank down in Mexico and I thought it was strange. Now, we have this all the time in Canada.

You tell me where crime is going down! Maybe in Moscow or maybe North Vietnam?
 

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Normalcy is relative, and bound by the framework of a specific time and place, as well as a set of circumstances. Normalcy is arbitrary, and the perception of normalcy is different from one person to another. Normalcy is irrelevant, but a normalcy of the past can be cherished in the minds of people.

The past is a memory, the future hasn't happened yet, so it doesn't exist. The present is "Normalcy.
 
Packerjohn said:
Crime peaked in the early '90s and has been steadily declining ever since.

You could have fooled me. Where I live there are shootings and stabbings by knives everyday. People robbing stores nonstop. I went to a Dollarama today to buy cat food. Big guard standing at the door. Go to most grocery stores and they often have 2 city police officers standing there with their sidearms clearly visible. Yes, this is Canada. I used to see a guard with a shotgun in front of a bank down in Mexico and I thought it was strange. Now, we have this all the time in Canada.

You tell me where crime is going down! Maybe in Moscow or maybe North Vietnam?
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I don't know where you live in Canada @Packerjohn, but, I haven't yet seen what you describe, here in Metro Toronto.
 
HoneyNut said:
I was too little to know, but from googling it seems like there was a Korean War and McCarthyism back then. Plus racial discrimination and lack of opportunity for women.

Children are probably not the best historians, since hopefully they were being insulated from the fears and worries that were happening.
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The Korean War ended for us rather quickly, As for McCarthy, he was someone we laughed at. Once people were blackballed by him and some in jail, responsible people went after him. There is still racial discrimination as well as women trying to break that glass ceiling. Where I lived, it was a lovely era, and I'd take it any day.
 
StarSong said:
Most of us remember worrying about the bomb - a fear that was reinforced monthly with "duck and cover" bomb drills where we'd hide under our desks or take cover against the inner hallways of our schools.

In the 50s-mid 60s, most American children were terrified about a nuclear war with Russia.
Click to expand...
I remember not caring at all about the threat of nuclear war.
 
I don't worry much about nuclear war as the people who start it, clearly understand that by doing so, they will not survive, nor will their families, friends, etc. etc. If the actual bombs do not kill them off, then the longer-term effects of radiation will cause their death...by illness and/or starvation.
 
Yes, we have new dangers and threats, but there was never any rose colored, idealistic time when we didn't have tumult in our lives.
There's a thread about how wonderful and peaceful the 1990s were. I guess they were if you don't recall the LA race riots, the first bombing of the World Trade Center ,Waco, the Bosnia War, Ruby Ridge, The bombing of the Murrah building, etc, etc, etc, I could go on.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
Yes, we have new dangers and threats, but there was never any rose colored, idealistic time when we didn't have tumult in our lives.
There's a thread about how wonderful and peaceful the 1990s were. I guess they were if you don't recall the LA race riots, the first bombing of the World Trade Center ,Waco, the Bosnia War, Ruby Ridge, The bombing of the Murrah building, etc, etc, etc, I could go on.
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Yep, you can pick any decade and look at the unrest, scandals, and crime, and any one looks like a total sh*t-show.
 
I'd go back to the 80s in a heartbeat. I know I look back with the classic rose-colored glasses, but still.

I found this on YouTube. It focuses on entertainment only, not politics or social issues, but it still nearly brought me to tears. Perhaps because in the 2010s my life ended up turning into a total sh-tshow.

 
Lonewolf said:
Rare to have mass shooters.
Rare to see a family member killing his or her family.
Less crime.
No mobs of people robbing stores.
Drugs not everywhere.
Cool old cars, some with fins.
Drive In Movies.
More patriotism.
More unity.
Less riots.
Less destruction of cities.
Police not being defunded.
Politicians were more polite.
California was cool (San Francisco, flowers in your hair, California Dreaming).
No war on Christmas.
Preferred the music, romantic oldies, cool rock bands. I go back as far as folk music.
Teachers taught the basics, stayed out of students' genders.
Rare to see female teachers always in the news for behaving inappropriately with students; I see this in the news nearly every week, don't like that it could cast clouds of suspicion over all the good teachers.
The news was more objective.
Kids got out and played more.
Less kids killing themselves from being bullied on social media.
The elderly more respected.
Liked the movies better.
Nobody was being cancelled.
Nobody was being triggered by every little thing or needed safe spaces.
Left and Right were not as far apart. Neither seemed crazy.
College campuses were really institutions of higher learning.
Groceries cost less and none were shrinking.
To me, those were more peaceful times in the US than we have today
Most of all I miss what I see as the normalcy compared to now.
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Love it, makes me think.
Mass shootings never had the press coverage they have now
Killing one's own is nothing new
Crime has always been an issue
Little Italy, Chinatown, shack towns, protection....nothing new
Drugs always a problem
Cool old cars and drive in movies we can lump. Great!
Patriotism? Much better now then when I came home from Vietnam
Unity.....................social media has affected that.
riots, Asbury park in the 19... sixties.
War was always fought on Christmas, I remember.
Everyone of your comments makes me remember those times. They, unfortunately are gone.
Now we still retain a lot of the good things.
The problem is the news and press. Only 2% of the population gets 90% of the news.
For the most part we are all the same, are, have been, and will continue to be. But the world we now live in is different. Lament the past but don't lose hope, don't forget and most of all, know that most of us feel the same as you.
 
KSav said:
I'd go back to the 80s in a heartbeat. I know I look back with the classic rose-colored glasses, but still.

I found this on YouTube. It focuses on entertainment only, not politics or social issues, but it still nearly brought me to tears. Perhaps because in the 2010s my life ended up turning into a total sh-tshow.

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I liked the 80s too (just which I'd been younger so I could've enjoyed 'em more).
 
We have all had different lived experiences. I lived in Tampa, FL during desegregation. In Junior High in the early 70's, I was bussed to a school that was pretty far away and in a sketchy area when there was a school that was much closer. No one was ready for desegregation at that time, but is was forced on us.

There were riots during most lunch hours. I remember drugged-out guys standing on the roof of my junior high threatening to jump off. One of my best friends was Black and he would let me know when riots were going to happen so we could go back inside during lunch hour. The Latina and Black girls were the worst since they carried razor blades.

During those days, we couldn't go to the restroom since our heads would be dunked in the toilet and the cinderblocks in restrooms were set on fire. Blonde girls with long hair frequently had it cut off. Fridays were the days when White guys were hit in the face by Black guys. I had this happen when just walking through the hall by myself.

I don't blame anyone for the violence that happened. Combine two races that had never lived together and this is the result.

We have come a long way since then, so for anyone who thinks we are more divided today, think again.
 
What exactly is normality (no such word as normalcy)? There has always been crime and violence, which are allowed to flourish when there is no law and order. Some people are just bad. It is normal for humans to live in small communities. When a crime is committed, everyone knows the culprit and they are swiftly dealt with. This in itself acts as a deterrent. When a community is attacked the whole group band together and defend their territory. Perhaps if the public were able to deal with criminals themselves instead of relying on the justice system, there would be less crime.
 
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