Are Our Children in a Better Place?

I was a child in the late 60’s – early 70’s.  Although I was too young and innocent at the time to realize it, the world was a dangerous place.  The U.S. was at war, actively in Vietnam and passively with the USSR.  Due to the cold war, we had bomb drills in the schools.  We always seemed one step from nuclear war and doomsday for the human race.  President Nixon was fighting scandal which led to his resignation just short of his potential impeachment.  The nation struggled with equal rights for women and minorities.  The air and water in our country was polluted – I remember driving near New York City and not being able to see the skyline as it was obscured by yellow smog.  The economy was struggling and my father was worried about being laid off.  A major turning point occurred when Ronald Regan was elected president in 1980 and through a bipartisan coalition succeeded in resurrecting the economy, ending the Cold War, and leaving a safer world for succeeding generations.  In the meanwhile, under him and the next five presidents, we cleaned up our air and waters and made strides in treating all citizens as equals, not just white males.  We did not shut down our boarders to refugees.

Today in less than three months, we have all but reversed 40 years of progress.  The world has become a more dangerous place, with ISIS and other extremist groups further empowered by presidential edicts to shut down our boarders to nine largely Muslims countries.  Russia seeks to reclaim former prestige and power and has openly displayed its aggression.  In fact, there are allegations that Russia hacked our election to put our current president in power.  The EPA is in the process of being dismantled, giving polluters free reign in destroying our environment.  Any progress made in global warming is being quickly unwound through complete disdain of the scientific community that studies the climate.  Women are again second class citizens, openly treated as sex objects and soon to be denied the right to critical care unique to the health of women.  Bigotry and bullying has been openly embraced by the new president and his followers are acting accordingly.  Worst of all, anger is increasing in the American people, whatever their political leanings are, and healing dialogue is becoming more and more difficult.

I would like to challenge everyone in this country, especially the 46% that voted for our current president: are we safer today than we were six months ago?  Is Humanity closer to fulfillment or closer to extinction?  Is our society more open and inclusive?  Is our country truly greater than it was?

Most importantly, are our children in a better place?  Or have we returned to the world that existed when I was a child?