News Report: Lessons to Live By

Lessons to Live By

            To say the 1960s was a dull period is quite the understatement. Many countries went through hardships during the decade, yet none so much as the United States of America. The 60s was a time of war, civil rights, politics, and even the environment. We have come a long way since these times, yet it is important to reflect on our past in order to have a brighter future.

            Perhaps one of the most memorable events of the 1960s was the war in Vietnam. In an effort to contain the threat of communism spreading like falling dominoes, the United States went out of their way to make sure the Southern Vietnamese would win. However, the United States soon became involved in the war themselves, sending their own troops into the fray.  What was thought to be an easy victory soon turned into a war that seemingly lasted an eternity. If there was any lesson to be learned from the Vietnam War, it was to never underestimate anyone, be it a person or a country.

            Another famous event from the 1960s was the Civil Rights Movement. Miss Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat on the local bus sparked one of the greatest movements in history: an opportunity for the phrase “All men are created equal” to actually have some truth behind it. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will forever be remembered as one of the country’s greatest heroes, a man who never gave up on the chance for his kind to have the same respect as white person. The lesson to be learned here is how discrimination is a vile poison that separates people, filling them with emotions of hate.

            Environmental issues were not so prevalent in the United States up until what had happened in Love Canal. It’s truly horrible to think what happened to those people who suffered such harmful effects from living there. Innocent babies had birth defects, children died, pleas for a cleaner environment soon surfaced. The Love Canal is a prime example of what corporate greed can do to the environment and the people in it. The lesson here is to take care of Mother Nature, and to keep the Earth clean. We only have one planet, so we must do what we can to keep it clean.

            In conclusion, the 1960s were indeed a wild time. War, drugs, and politics can be a deadly mix. To grow as a person means you must learn from your mistakes and achievements, and this holds true for 60s America. The lessons we have learned from America’s past will surely help us for the years to come.