As a child in the sixties, my innocence and the innocence of the nation, was shattered by three assassinations, one, years before the others, the others, just several months apart.
My generation could no longer hope for the clichéd, happy resolution at the end of a story. Our world, once a pocket of predictability, had changed. It was no longer a blasé place with innocuous consequences. The evil characters and scary plot twists in films had migrated from the movie screens to our backyards.
Fantasy and reality had synthesized into one glaring truth. Society was damaged. Evil had infiltrated our communities; our futures determined by uncontrollable forces, our lives affected by unnecessary wars that benefited corporations and by violent sociopaths with their fingers on the triggers.
The blood that had spilled from our larger than life heroes, and lesser unknown heroes of the Vietnam War, spilled into our national consciousness and created a generation of lost innocents, once content with the bland, black and white stories of suburbia portrayed in the TV show, Leave it to Beaver, and the Cleaver family, the perfect American family with uncomplicated lives.
The colorless, black and white images of the fifties gave way to blood-stained Technicolor images of the sixties and seventies, of students murdered on college campuses and soldiers killed in the Vietnam War.
From Vietnam to Kent State to Jackson State, my generation was traumatized by indiscriminate shootings of, and by, our protectors, and the victims who fell from the force of their guns. On the ground, spurting blood, a generation of innocent lost to senseless violence.
For my generation, many of the tragedies we witnessed on TV were a result of social change in society, with the exception of the deaths of our three larger than life heroes, whose murders we watched on TV sets in our living rooms, footage replayed night-after-night in prime-time.
This generation of children today, unlike my generation, never had the luxury of black and white simplicity. They never had the peaceful pause of silence before the next raging storm. Their innocence was taken from them soon after they were born by the violent images they see on TV, perpetuated by sociopaths who emerge from the shadows with their fingers on the triggers.
The murderers of innocence should heed the words projected on the wall of the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
So true. I long for black and white sometimes but it just doesn’t come.
I feel for the people of Boston and visitors who attended the Marathon yesterday. I wish that everyone could return to the innocence of the 50s to get a sense of what life was like before we shad to lock our doors.
This is a powerful post, Lauren. Beautifully written, thought-provoking and moving.
Thank you! The images of the Boston Marathon are so painful to watch. This country is a magnet for violence.
Oh Lauren. Thank you for this heartfelt and powerful post.
Thank you! It took me a day to write.
Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
That photo speaks volumes.
Wow Lauren, powerful post. I hadn’t thought of it like that but you are right. It’s constant and in front of them all the time. The sad reality of today. I hope the generation following will be different.
Thanks! It is a sad reality. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of these kids suffer psychological damage from all the violence they see intentionally or unintentionally.
Very powerful and well put post. Even back in the 80’s when I was a young kid in high school we still had a sense of confidence to not fear much. We went out to the movies and public events and school and never worried about all these things. Today it really is a different story. So much fear and tragedy. Why all the hate? Why do people want to inflict so much pain? Still, we can not give in to fear. We must forge ahead and believe in the good of people.
Thank you, Phil.
I agree. We must forge ahead. There is so much good out there. Unfortunately, the brutal images of death and destruction linger in our minds longer than the kind deeds and heroic acts.
I am very grateful that I grew up in the black and white days of the 50’s and 60’s and feel very sad for this generation for never having known a truly innocent childhood, free from fear and violence. The only consolation is that they won’t miss what they never had. Only we older people miss it and wonder what went so wrong in a relatively short time.
That’s a great point! I guess that’s why we need to cherish every moment of calm before an inevitable storm.
You hit the nail on the head with truth Lauren. Back in the day you paid to see all these tragedies, gunfights, bombs etc on film. Now it’s all a reality. Children know nothing more than violence most of the time and in some countries live in fear all day. And to make matters worse, parents are teaching their children to continue the war long after they are gone.
We must never give in to terror, never fear those that believe that ‘might’ is right because it’s wrong and begin to teach our younger generations that nothing is solved through violence.
You’ve really got me going now Lauren. I’m so glad that they caught the guy alledged to have caused the Boston bomb, but I don’t think that will be the end.
I agree. I don’t think it will be the end. The bombing shows our vulnerabilities. The vulnerabilities are a result of living in a (mostly) free society.
It’s interesting that a Saudi national was originally questioned after the bombing because of “suspicious” behavior. He was released. Likely, the poor fellow was dazed as he was also a victim of the attack. I fear that ramped up racial profiling will put innocent people in danger.
Reading your post I was moved and I cannot help but agree with what you have said. We are living in times of bullets and bombs and this is not even a declared war. In times of democracy we are still not secure and God knows whats in store for our future generations. Thanks for bringing this up.
Thank you. Yes, you stated it so well: “We are living in times of bullets and bombs and this is not even a declared war.” It is sad that we, and our children, have to be vigilante about our surroundings…always on the look out for a potential terrorist. That notion promotes paranoia and distrust.
I loved this post!!! Heart-touching!!! The title of the post is what drew my attention and made me read it. The post is written so beautifully. Violence and hatred have indeed become the part and parcel of the lives of people these days. Thanks for this thought provoking share.
Thank you. It’s sad but true. Too many victims of violence and hatred.