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THE SIXTIES:
No
one really knew it back than but America had turned the corner.
The majority of Americans no longer worked in farms or factories.
Most Americans worked in offices and performed all kinds of
office jobs. Less and less Americans grew the nation's foods
and built the nation's automobiles. More and more young Americans
were going on to higher institutions of learning and staying
in school longer and longer. There was less of a hurry to start
working and many young Americans took advantage of this opportunity
to broaden their minds even more and look at their country with
new eyes.
Also
many other social groups in the country began demanding more
wealth and rights. The African American community began to protest
that they had been left behind in the race for more prosperity.
White students began to help African Americans in their struggle
for equal rights in the southern part of America. All this was
seen on national television and it made many Americans feel
uncomfortable. America was becoming more and more unstable as
the Vietnam war brought out even more hard feelings against
the American government.
The
Ritchie family was not immune to the new energies being released
in the nation.
Deborah
watching the television: " Things are getting crazy. Why
are so many people protesting about everything? "
Chad: " I wish I knew. The government has spent so much
money on the poor, on new housing, and education. People are
no longer grateful for anything. People do not want to work
hard for anything anymore.
Mara
starts to yell: " Well, the stupid war doesn't make any
sense. Also who wants to have such a boring life going out to
work and coming home like machines everyday. I want to listen
to my music when and where I want to. Also all the chemicals
in the food we are buying are not really safe. I don't want
to die of some food illness when I'm young."
Deborah: " Why are you talking like this? We have given
you everything you want."
Mara: " I think it's time we speak out exactly how we feel
about things in life. I want to go out with who I want to when
I want to.
Harvey: " Dad, can I also go out whenever I want to also?
Please… "
Chad: " No champ. You're still in junior high school. Mara's
finally going to college next year. "
Harvey: " Ah, gee Dad. That's not really fair. "
Deborah: " Harvey, can you go to your room? We would like
to talk to Mara alone."
Harvey: " Ah, Dad….
Chad:
" Look, Mara. I know things are changing fast nowadays
in ways we don't really understand. But you need to listen to
us sometimes. We do love you and we want only the best for you.
"
Deborah: " Yes, dear listen to your father. "
Chad: " Look, Mara, I work in the computer industry and
everything has a momentum of its own. If we simply fail to take
the next step in what we do. We really waste all our earlier
efforts. We have to have faith in the future even if we don't
really know exactly where it's going most of the time. "
Mara: " That's just crap. We need to sometimes slow down
and really see just where it is that we're going now. They don't
really teach you that in school at all. "
Deborah: " Look, when I was your age, Mara I had to ask
permission from my family to go out with your father before
we were married. We couldn't really go too far about where we
could go out to and how long we could stay out. " Now…"
Mara: " Now what? "
Deborah: " Now I'm even thinking of going out and getting
a job. "
Mara: " Really, why? "
Deborah: " Because I want a little more challenge in my
life. "
Mara: " That is so cool. It really is…."
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