i received one of those email chain letters the other day that contained this dissertation on how great american society was in the 1950's (at least this one focused on that date) and how jacked up today's society is by comparison. you know, the whole to hell in a hand-basket kinda stuff; children minded their parents, addressed elders as sir, loved their country, held the door for ladies, believed in an honest days work, appreciated what they had, respected family values and on and on and on. while i agree with some if not many of their points i'm commonly compelled to respond to the individual who sent it with my own list. mine would be equally simple but list things like; racial lynchings, slumlords, child labor, american indian extermination, slavery, unchecked sexual harassment and on and on and on. instead i think i could recommend this book and others like it. it would be a cleaner, less confrontational way to approach the conversation.

i'm ever astounded reading literature discussing our younger america. knowing that these things happened in this society on this soil by our distant relations really disturbs me. and i don't know if i'm more comforted by the fact that these social ills are no longer so prevalent or more plagued by the fact that it was ever this way to begin with.