General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: 1968 (Your Help, Please!) [View all]Punkingal
(9,522 posts)So many things.....
I graduated from high school, and graduation week one of my closest friends who graduated the year before was killed in Viet Nam. He had saved a seat on the school bus for me for years...he was a wonderful person, and to this day I tear up thinking about it. I have never stopped grieving for him. He was only there for a month, and I said good-bye to him a week before he left. Viet Nam absolutely permeated everything about life in 1968.
Martin Luther King...I was so ashamed he was killed in my home state, and so sad. I feel lucky to have been alive at the same time as this special man.
Bobby....I watched the funeral and my heart broke for Teddy. I watched the train all day. I still remember exactly how I felt...Bobby was so compassionate and caring, and I was just so sad and bewildered. It was a nightmare...it still is. The biggest "What If" ever.
The Democratic convention was unbelievable... I still blame George Wallace for Nixon getting elected. And I still can't believe Nixon DID get elected. Talk about a political comeback. I despised him.
I actually remember feeling sorry for LBJ....he could have gone down in history as one of our greatest presidents, for civil rights and anti-poverty, and he pissed all that away with Viet Nam. I still think that is sad.
So that's my two cents, for what it's worth. I will say this...if people had the passion and willingness to fight the status quo like we did then, things would be different in this country today. Not to mention, we had "Uncle" Walter Cronkite!