(05-28-2018 06:00 PM)Native Georgian Wrote: I honestly believe the differences far, FAR outweigh the similarities.
Neither “side” has resorted to violence nearly as often or as extreme — as happened in the ’68/’74 era. Yet paradoxically both “sides” in the past were still watching the same TV news-broadcasts, reading the same magazines/newspapers, and their larger/extended families were still attending the same schools and churches. None of that is true today. And common-trust in big social institutions was much higher/stronger than it is today.
I’m honestly not sure what accounts for the differences.
Oklahoma City, Atlanta Olympics and World Trade I and II changed how people view such things. Boston as well
People now view bombing as an activity to create mass casualty rather than calling in a threat to get a place evacuated before trying to cause property damage.
68-74 the minorities fighting for civil rights, had rights obviously protected in the Constitution by amendment. The minorities were significantly below the national median in economic success and education access. The minorities struggling to assert rights were identifiable on sight. You had the disconnect of citizens with legally restricted rights being conscripted to fight despite having no capacity to vote for or against candidates.
Today's conflicts are significantly smaller.
LBGT issues directly impact fewer people. Those in that minority have no restriction on their voting rights and are a significant voting bloc in most any urban area. Membership in the class is of lesser economic impact and in some fields arguably a positive.
Illegal Immigrants have no voting clout (despite propaganda to the contrary), no access to Federal benefits (propaganda not withstanding) and anyone who thinks hard about it understands that the people fighting for the protection of them are being funded to some degree by business owners who profit from the wage and price depressing impact they have on the economy.
The Muslim issues basically boil down to some using them as boogey men by painting all as the fringe nutters, and the fringe nutters aren't interested in any civil rights issues but rather US policy toward Muslim areas that work against US interests, the rights and economic access keeps the nutter population very small.
The modern situation is vastly different.
The fights today mostly are about being miffed rather than aggrieved over the impairment of fundamental rights.