a profound shift in the consciousness of humanity
as we move from “me” to “we” was the “promise”
of the 1960s – at least, that is what we thought!

BUT – what was our Mission of Promise –
hopeful dreams?
the impossible dream?
or just the silliness of typical young people
who think they know better
than those who went before them?

Shreds of the hopeful ‘60s remained in
the summer of 1969, and we clung to that
like a life raft as we saw all that needed
to be changed and knew WE could
make those changes!
Ah! the immortality of youth –
the inability to believe in failure –
the strength of a spirit that said
“YES, WE CAN” to every doubting voice!

We had heard the stories about how
World War Two had been won because of people
coming together united in a common cause
to overcome the odds and victory resulted!
Those who had horribly abused, starved, and
murdered people had been stopped – and
WE could gain that victory for people in
our own generation, in our own country . . .
we KNEW WE could and WE should!

And so it began –
• Civil Rights Movement
• The Student Movement
• The Anti-Vietnam War Movement
• The Women’s Movement
• Gay Rights Movement
• Environmental Movement

ALL to bring about changes to long-standing
political, social, economic, and legal practices
against people, destruction of life in a war that
was for profit of a few and not winnable, and to
call attention to abuse of our natural resources.

Although specific goals differed, all of the movements
were built on the ideal of citizen-activism and a belief that
social justice could be won through political change.

The focus was always to take steps for “the common good”
– to make love for each other and for all of creation be the
driving force for decisions we made and those made FOR
us by those WE elected to represent us – the “government”
was “WE, the people” and it should do what we want it to do
– for ALL and we raised our voices to make sure OUR
representatives heard the message!

• The civil rights movement, the
women’s movement, and the gay rights
movement demanded that Americans
consider equality for ALL citizens in the
United States.
• The student movement probed the
meaning of freedom in the United States.
• The anti-Vietnam War movement asked Americans
to consider the use of national power and the
appropriateness of their government’s foreign policy.
• Environmentalists asked what good
America’s economic growth was if it
resulted in the destruction of the planet.

WE believed the Mission of Promise –
the Promise of life in a world for ALL –
was up to us to make happen –
it was our world and our purpose
was to make it a better world –
WE bought into the foolish idea that
if Love was put in the driver’s seat and
everyone lived it, those driven by greed
or selfishness or a need to control or
dominate others would be led to
be better people as their hearts were changed
by an awareness of humanity around them . . .
unfortunately, we learned that we had made
a Mistake of Priority . . .

NEXT: a Mistake of Priority