Disparities in opinion, color, and wealth define American society today. It’s a country with an increasing wealth gap, more than one controversial debate, and ever-present systemic racism.
Let’s compare today’s political climate to the 1960s, a decade of political assassinations.
The Political Gridlocks
More than half a century between the ’60s and now couldn’t remove the political gridlocks between the Senate and House of Representatives that continue to waylay important bills. The Democrats narrowly wrested control of the Senate in 2021. Before that, the Republicans had full control of the Senate. They could strike down any bills coming from the House of Representatives, and they did, especially when former President Trump was impeached.
This divide and lack of bipartisan politics are reminiscent of the Vietnam War when activists, members of Congress, and other political entities were squarely divided into those who supported the war and those who were categorically against it.
The Racial Divide
The racial divide never truly went away; it just lost steam after the conditions of the Civil Rights Movement were met, and black people were integrated into the wider society and were given equal opportunities, the latter at least applied on paper.
According to a 2020 poll, 48% of African Americans perceive law enforcement as unethical. Their fears aren’t exactly unfounded; a wave of police brutality hit the diaspora in the years preceding and following George Floyd’s death.
A Look on the Bright Side
It’s also important to consider the differences while comparing the 1960s with the 2020s. While parallel divides exist, you cannot write off all the positive changes that have occurred since then.
For instance, the Black Lives Movement marches were largely supported by all the other communities, including the white majority. When a similar event occurred in the 1960s, it was met with backlash, not support. If white people saw the turmoil for what it was then, now they focus more on the ‘why’ of it.
For more insights into an America overwrought with political assassinations in the 1960s, visit Kennedys and King, which is an online platform fighting for the truth behind the political murders of the Kennedy brothers, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X. Check out their archives for all the records and media on the events preceding and following this bloody decade and contribute any you feel might help fill in the gray areas.
Visit their website to explore, express, and communicate your thoughts.
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