I was a young woman when the youth movement of the 1960’s started up. I graduated from high school in 1971 and it was an era when we were wearing armbands at the very least, and some people were burning flags and going truly bonkers. Yes, it was an era when some people were attracted more to the theatrics of the thing than the principles, but make no mistake, anti-Vietnam war fever ran hot and it ran high.
The clip you are about to see below reminds me of exactly that time. The energy is the same.
The GOP is oblivious to this sea change. They are now fundraising off of the Tennessee Three, claiming that the Republican-led state senate, “enforced the rule of law” and “this is only the beginning.” It’s the beginning of something, chaps, but not what you think. The Old South is not coming back, the New South is rising and is going to kick some a$$, if these young people are any indication.
“You ban books, you ban drag, kids are still in body bags.”
Powerful. Effective. Inspiring. #Tennessee3 #GunControlNow pic.twitter.com/YkL9RSeO3c
— Gareth 🏴🇺🇸🇪🇺 🕊 #FBPE (@ZacaMesaSix) April 6, 2023
I recognize the energy, I’ll tell you that now. And this is even a worse situation than Vietnam. When we were protesting Vietnam, we were protesting sending our young men to a battleground on the other side of the world to die. Now the battleground is in our hometowns, our own classrooms. It’s a completely different dynamic.
It’s starting to feel a lot like 1968, I’ll tell you what.
And I don’t think the old school GOP is going to slap a lid on this, either. I think they’re screwed. What is fascinating is that they seem utterly clueless that this is actually happening.
I can’t help but think of the iconic song For What It’s Worth by Buffalo Springfield, the first two stanzas in particular. The only thing that doesn’t ring true now is the line “Nobody’s right, if everyone’s wrong” because there are clearly people on the right and wrong side of this issue:
There’s something happening here
But what it is ain’t exactly clear
There’s a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware
I think it’s time we stop
Children, what’s that sound?
Everybody look, what’s going down?
There’s battle lines being drawn
Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind
Then again, maybe there’s something else in the lyrics that’s off. Parkland’s students galvanized a movement that’s still going strong, and young people who grew up as the first generation to practice mass shooter drills not only registered, but got out and voted and in significant numbers. 3018. GOPers figured guns probably cost them but now it was over and things would go back to normal and young people wouldn’t vote. But 2020 rolled around and again the 18-24 vote exceeded expectations and significantly so. Then as 2022 was coming up and the GOP was having Red Wave wet dreams and assuming since it was a midterm again young people would finally behave (as in not bother voting in significant numbers) and damn if they didn’t show up in force again!
So, I’d say something is in fact happening and it’s growing more clear with each election.
GOP PLATFORM—
Force women to have babies — and then make watch us kill those babies with our assault weapons.
It’s like they’ve handed Democrats a campaign platform.
I went to college 1967-71 in D.C. There was a great bookstore (Brentano,’s) right near the staging area for marches. The Anti-war marchers did r try to.insult me for not being s marcher. The VFW types would call me names and hating America. They scared me. And I didn’t even look.like a hippy, nice skirt and blouse and flats.
I hope Gen Z,forces them to do.something about guns.