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I’m impressed! My first was in 1969 in DC protesting the Vietnam War. Seems have been protesting ever since.

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Somewhere along the road we seem to have lost the idea of freedom that we had then when we were going to change the world. Our generation has built the mess that the world is in despite our youthful protestation.

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I'm reading "Caste" by Isabel Wilkerson. In Chapter 11 she talks about the rising mortality rates of White American, middle-aged, working-class males. Almost half a million excess deaths from 1998 to 2013. She refers them as "Deaths of Despair".

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Chances are pretty good that the authoritarian bully mindset that is the hallmark of racism has consequences for the children raised in such homes. Generally minds that are attracted to a culture that feeds on lies/denial/deception have been bathed in that environment in their formative years. Trauma in childhood can lead to addiction and addiction creates more traumatized children. Vicious cycle. Hillary Clinton understood this well and it's why the patriarchy did everything in their power to keep her out of power. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/index.html

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there's a lot there in the cdc link I posted but, for this conversation I was attempting to show the relationship of adverse childhood experiences to adult poor health. "ACEs can have lasting, negative effects on health, well-being, and opportunity. These experiences can increase the risks of injury, sexually transmitted infections, maternal and child health problems, teen pregnancy, involvement in sex trafficking, and a wide range of chronic diseases and leading causes of death such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and suicide."

https://www.ajpmonline.org/action/showPdf?pii=S0749-3797%2898%2900017-8

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Herb, it reminds me of conversations that i had with a SF businessman while i was living In DC. He told me that he has to come for business but spends as little time as possible along the East Coast as "people seem so unhealthy" .

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Is this about suicides?

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Marlene, thank u. Your protest might have saved my dad and uncles lives.

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I hope so but funny thing is I ended up marrying a Vietnam Vet 45 years ago. He never trusted the government then and still doesn’t to this day.

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Life’s a doughnut sometimes.

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I thank you as well for your protest. My husband got his draft card with the number 78 six months before they ended the draft. He did not have to go to Viet Nam thank God. I feel that the protests and work we do today will also benefit future generations. So again, thank you!

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You all did a great job levitating the Pentagon.

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How rough was that then? Is today worse? What did you think of Robert Kennedy them?

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Today is worse because I really never felt unsafe in those years. I was a proud hippie and held idealistic views. Burning my bra was quite “uplifting”. :) I loved RFK. I thought he was quite strategic and thoughtful. Even more so than his brother. He would’ve made a great president, in my opinion.

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RFK would have been an outstanding president, maybe one of the greatest.

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Uplifting 😂

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And Kent State came later.

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I remember Kent State well. I was a young college student next door in Indiana

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I have a friend older than me who was there. I think he is still traumatized.

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I have a friend who is younger than me who was there.

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Earlham College 1978

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I had hope we could make a difference. I never worried there would be AK 47 ‘s shooting us down. Robert Kennedy was a hero in my eyes.

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The story's not over yet, Susan. There is a surprise ending.

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I am just on the bottom edge of the boomer gen. My mom would not take me with her to protests, but she did take me to a Love In at a park in Los Angeles. My, my, I learned a lot there for a tweenager!

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Things the so riteous and the holier than thou don't want you to learn in school, no doubt......practical demonstrations are excellent pedagogy

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Yes-- quite a pedagogy! Funny that my current career often involves helping young people in who are exploring drugs, sex, hooking up, sexting, porn and now about 30+ STDs. What a set up that early experience provided me— but kids today deal with soooo much more than in the 60's. They are not allowed to come to my sessions stoned and are shocked when I can smell pot or tell by their eyes the they are in an altered state and call them on it. They wonder how I know. ;-) Hope none of them read HCR!

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They think it is normal and the smell disappears like urban "white noise".

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Darn Penelope, I'm jealous. Mom took us to pick pachysandra for the local Dems.

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Hahaha! In what way did pachysandra help the Dems? Pachy is root for pachyderm = Elephant = Republican? More evidence that the dems really need to get it together. That dem donkey symbol: The wild donkey -- Equus africanus asinus -- wild ass. Did you know that is why they call them "ass" rom asinus? I just learned something that puzzled me most of my life. I do love donkeys and elephants. I think the repubs elephant should now dawn a White Hood.

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HA! I bet you most definitely did!

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