With 1 of every 6 Americans getting some or all of their meals from food banks, many people are fearful of the struggling economy. To them the situation seems hopeless, as huge U.S. government deficits rapidly mount, giant corporations have gotten bailouts but not troubled homeowners, and the job market is terrible, heath care for many is unaffordable, all of it within a political system controlled by the rich. But the situation is not hopeless and I will tell you why:
Because at the age of 67, I've seen remarkable changes that at first, most people claimed were "impossible." Here are just 10 of the "impossible" changes I've witnessed:
1) The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's that overcame incredible odds, powerful political interests, violence, money and censorship to succeed and finally integrate America and provide equal opportunities for all.
2) Despite "The Big 3" U.S. auto giants vigorously fighting it with massive public relations campaigns, and major political campaign contributions, safety belts and other safety features came into being in the 1960's. U.S. auto giants didn't want to pay for safety features nor for cleaner emissions but the public demanded them and they happened.
3) The Women's Liberation Movement that began in the 1960's and really took hold in the 1970's. Until then women were "girls" and were not allowed to compete for most jobs, were paid far less than men for most jobs they could compete for, and found promotions few and far between. "A woman's place is in the home," was a common phrase and in many states, their husbands or male heirs controlled their property.
4) The Environmental Movement began in the 1960's and took hold in the 1970's, with the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). American corporate giants still fight the EPA with political campaign contributions and the threat of job elimination, but the situation is far better today than it was then. Until the 1960's and 70's, there was so little regard for the environment, that one of the Great Lakes actually caught fire because it was filled with oil and other pollutants.
5) Americans unite in the 1970's to overcome powerful political and economic interests, violence and censorship to finally stop the Vietnam War.
6) The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and German reunification. That Wall, built in 1961 was a physical manifestation of the power of the Soviet Union.
7) The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Throughout the Cold War, which began when World War ll ended in 1945, until that Soviet collapse, the Soviets were so powerful and such a threat, that the U.S. nearly went to nuclear war with them.
8) The fall of Apartheid in South Africa and the first free elections in that nation's history in 1994. Until the 1980's, many global corporations supported the white ruling and heavily armed government to keep them flush with cash. Most people thought there would be a violent overthrow of that government, but instead, there was a peaceful change of control.
9) The election of the first black U.S. President in 2008. Until the 1960's Civil Rights Movement, President Obama could not have voted in many places, and could not have held most jobs, eaten in most restaurants, stayed in most hotels, bought a home in most neighborhoods, nor had his children attend most public schools. In the deep South, if he looked wrong at a white woman, he could have been beaten and shot or hanged.
10) The Gay Rights Movement. For much of my life, gay people were beaten and shamed and all gays were considered to be "sick," even by the psychiatric profession. Now in some states, they can marry. They can also serve in the U.S. military, with "don't ask, don't tell," having finally ended and this month, President Obama endorsed equal rights for gay people.
In Summary: This is but a sampling of the "impossible" changes I've witnessed, and I'm sure you could easily add to this list, including the normalized relations with arch enemy "Red China" in 1972 and the Watergate Congressional hearings which in 1974, rid the nation of a corrupt President.
So as dismal as today's situation may appear, everything is correctable and our world is always in transition. You and I can make a difference by picking a cause we believe in and acting on it, for change always begins with a few people, not from giant institutions, and then based on its merits, change eventually wins the support of vast numbers of others.
Dick
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