My take On Bernie-

[jwirr]

31. I for one did not vote on any anti-gay ballot issue and I suspect that is why we did not answer

your question. There were no such issues on our ballots. I think your describing the whole era as mean and bigoted may be more connected with where you lived.

In my experience much of the basis of the changes coming in the 60s and 70s were begun in the late 50s. For instance black music was one of the things that became very popular during the late 50s. It introduced many of us who were young back then to a black culture that we learned to love. Both sang and dance. Ali and Hank Aaron also influenced us and helped us reject the mean and bigoted culture. And when MLK came on the scene we were ready to help him.

I do not remember much political action on the LGBT issue in the 50s, 60s and 70s in Iowa but what was happening was that many were coming out. We found that both friends and family members were gay. And at least in my community they were finding acceptance among many of us. The issue of LGBT rights ran into a wall in the 70s because of the TV preachers. They have had a harder fight for their rights since then.

The issues women worked for in that era were the same ones they had fought for before. More of us were waking up to the need for the change. Birth control, control over our bodies. Many of us were able to finally get a divorce from a bad relationship because of the existence of welfare. We were able to go to college even if we were poor.

I do not see how you cannot see that it was better.

You say you want to move forward not go back - when we say we want some things from that era we are mostly talking about the things that the Rs and 3 Way Democrats have taken away from us - like Glass-steagell that protects us for risky investments and trade bills that allow multi-national corporations to have more power than they have ever had. I also would like to be able to see my grandchildren be able to go to college.