It’s hard to explain what happened to us–especially those of us who were young and rapidly become more confused at best–disillusioned  or at worst angry and outraged–if you weren’t there but I’ll try.

First there was the Cold War thing that had been going on since the (what do you call it–Hot War???) Second World War had ended in the 1940’s—we were rapidly approaching the 20th year of unofficial and while more isolated, still deadly to the participants–that ongoing idealistic (Communist vs Democracy) bickering.  But there did seem to be some positive things–mainly the US and Russia signing a treaty in January to ban atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons—which the Senate didn’t ratify until September, allowing it to go into affect FINALLY in October.

Just nod if you can hear me
Is there anyone at home?

The Civil Rights issues which had just came to our notice so recently were now coming to a boil and they threatened to tear the country apart and they began with the beginning of the year and the inauguration of Alabama’s Governor George Wallace gave his “Segregation Forever” speech in January.  By April the SLC volunteers were staging set-ins and protests that were becoming bigger and bigger in that same capital and by April both Martin Luther King and Ralph Abernathy were  arrested and jailed for their participation.

Many whites formed up on both sides of the issue and those of us who were confused became even more so for we realized that while we might sympathize with the Black Americans who were involved, we had no real understanding on what it was like to be in the minority in this country of the supposedly free.   On June 11 President Kennedy proposed a Civil Right Bill and the next day Medgar Evers of Jacksonville, Miss., a 37-year-old NAACP field secretary was assassinated outside his home…it would take the government 30 years to finally convict Bryan De La Beckwith of his murder.

By August there was a march of 200,000 for jobs and freedom on Washington and it was here in the vicinity of the Lincoln Memorial that Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech.  But they got no justice when in September four black girls were killed and 22 others injured in what today would be called domestic terrorism when the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in the now infamous city of Birmingham was bombed .  This resulted in riots in the same city and the loss of two more black youths.  The rest of the nations held our breath waiting for more violence.  We were sympathetic for the loss, scared by the rioting.  My generation felt lost–we couldn’t vote, we were powerless while our country seemed on the verge and the destructive possibilities were frightening

Come on now
I hear you’re feeling down

And while we were watching the inner fighting the external was heating up as well with the loss of a major battle on the 2nd day of 1963 at the Battle of Ap Boc in South VIetnam.  By late October and early November the military government of South Viet Nam had been overthrown (some say with a lot of US support) and Ngo Din Diem was assassinated, making many people happier, but the country of South Vietnam in worse disorder than ever.

Culturally we were also being shaken and stirred.  Betty Friedam’s book The Feminine Mystic came out with such insights as: “Instead of fulfilling the promise of infinite orgastic bliss, sex in the America of the feminine mystique is becoming a strangely joyless national compulsion, if not a contemptuous mockery.” which along with the pill put us into a feminine revolution not the least of which involved a sexuality that we had been warned about since we were small.    And our world was further involved and commented by many movers and shakers including a few “folk” singers lead by Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.

And if we weren’t confused enough Timothy Leary and other former Harvard men began their “research” into the use of LSD and other psychedelics.  Only the confused  could hope to find enlightenment by using a drug that totally scrambles the brain–interesting enough it has not been a real popular drug since our generation moved on.  Oh and there was a new hit in America and four British lads from Liverpool wanted to hold our hands…little did we know that before this would all be over that they would have our hearts and minds as well.  And if you think you’re confused you’ve only seen a summary of a bit of what we were dealing with.

Well I can ease your pain
Get you on your feet again

And the worse was yet to come:  On November 22 an ex-military sniper stood on a grassy knoll  in Dallas, Texas and sited down the barrel of his rifle and fired a shot into a motorcade, ending the life and presidency of John F. Kennedy.  Later that day he would be captured by the Dallas police.

Vice President Lyndon Johnson was sworn in a few hours later on a plane back to Washington with the president’s widow looking on.  These pictures are embedded in my mind forever…it was just before Thanksgiving and many of us believed Kennedy was all that was holding us together….I always being a bit cynical wasn’t so devoted to him, but none-the less I was shocked and deeply troubled at the toppling of the supreme head of our country and the disregard of that country and what it stood for that it implied.

And then on the 24th we received two more blows—first by the murder of Oswald by Ruby—the murder of the president’s killer by a middle aged club owner from Dallas…so much violence—and though few wept over Oswald many were disturbed by another disregard for human life.    The other incident was not so blatant, but would result in the long term in the death of so many Americans.  For 2 days after becoming president Johnson escalated our involvement in Vietnam and would continue to do so for some time to come.  Would Kennedy have done the same.  Many have voiced the opinion that this would not have happened under JFK, but I am not so sure—but I, like so many of the people in my time laid a lot of this all on LBJ.   But what ever the truth of the matter the death and the war’s escalation made us hate LBJ and feel abandoned by just about everyone…..we could not vote but we could die…..and in the street you would eventually hear the chant:  “Hey, hey LBJ how many kids have you killed today.”

Relax
I’ll need some information first
Just the basic facts
Can you show me where it hurts?

OK on to Droughlander Rescue Sites

These aren’t new but they are fun and you may have missed a bit of this info:

‘Outlander’ releases new images from season 3

 

Season 4 script is in the works:  http://theeasterntribune.com/outlander/outlander-season-4-script-already-in-the-works-diana-gabaldon-teases-characters-death/7751

Outlander finally coming to UK: http://www.itechpost.com/articles/99762/20170614/outlander-season-3-updates-claire-jamie-find-each-sooner-expected.htm

 

 

There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can’t hear what you’re saying

When I was a child I had a fever
My hands felt just like two balloons
Now I’ve got that feeling once again
I can’t explain you would not understand
This is not how I am
I have become comfortably numb

Okay
Just a little pinprick
There’ll be no more, ah
But you may feel a little sick
Can you stand up?
I do believe it’s working, good
That’ll keep you going through the show
Come on it’s time to go

There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship, smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can’t hear what you’re saying
When I was a child
I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown
The dream is gone
I have become comfortably numb