Forty-eight years ago our country experienced many dreadful events, not unlike those we've seen recently. The Vietnam War was raging. The Tet Offensive in January 1968 was an all-out effort by the North Vietnamese government to capitalize on the decline in public support in the United States for the war. Tet was a tactical victory for America, as it cost the lives of thousands of non-replaceable North Vietnamese regular soldiers and Viet Cong guerrilla fighters; but, in the final analysis our enemies focused on the center of gravity of the war - American public support. By destroying it, they won a great strategic victory.
The photos of death and destruction and of America's young men who died fighting haunted our weekly news magazines and the evening news. Our music reflected the country's mood: the lyrics of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" and the Byrds' "Turn, Turn, Turn" (from Ecclesiastes Chapter 3) asked for answers no one seemed able to provide. In March, a fatigued President Lyndon B. Johnson announced he would not seek re-election. In April, Martin Luther King was assassinated at a Memphis hotel. In June, Robert Kennedy, younger brother of President John F. Kennedy and one of three leaders for the Democratic Party presidential nomination, was assassinated.
Throughout the long, hot summer, we watched as race riots occurred in more than 100 cities throughout the United States. In August, angry American black Olympians shocked the world with their "Black Power" fist as they received their medals. Also in August, the Democratic National Convention was the scene of violent encounters between anti-war protesters and the Chicago police. The young liberals disrespectfully called the cops "pigs." Sound familiar?
I was only 14 that summer but remember the confusion between the young and restless liberals who were searching for answers and those older conservatives who still believed in American exceptionalism, opportunity and the Christian faith. It was a dramatic social dichotomy. That fall the conservative Nixon won, but it was a shallow victory. Liberals and their values became mainstream America.
Since then, they've given us the sexual revolution, the drug culture, on-demand abortion, affirmative action, dignity robbing, cradle-to-grave welfare, a depleted military, sanctioned illegal immigration, a perverted definition of marriage and ever-expanding government programs that have saddled our children and grand-children with more than $19 trillion in national debt.
We survived the '60s, and so far we've survived 48 years of failed liberal promises to provide equality, racial justice and opportunity for all. Isn't it time to put our faith in something else? The answer, as Bob Dylan suggested, is truly "Blowin' in the Wind," if we look only to the answers the world and government can provide. Thankfully, there are real solutions to our problems.
Our forefathers lived in the real world, not a liberal utopia. They left us with a Constitution and Bill of Rights to give us the solid foundation we need to work through our problems and find meaningful answers. They also left a firm foundation in the Christian faith, which we discard more every day. Until we seek the "peace of God, which transcends all understanding" (Philippians 4:7), we will indeed be searching for superficial answers that are "Blowin' in the Wind." On the other hand, if we put our faith in the simple truth of love and forgiveness personified by Jesus Christ, we have the peace he promised: "Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid." (John 14:27)
We've tried the liberal appeal to the world for answers, and it has failed us miserably. Isn't it time to get back to something that offers real hope? The choice is ours.
Roger Smith, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel, is an author and frequent contributor to the Times Free Press.