Here on The Porch we have two fans, ice tea and a box or crate to sit on, the heat we could do without. The Ponder today is difficult one and not the normal type of ponder we usually engage in, but it is my porch. Drop back to the late 50’s and yes I was there…so were a few of these guys on the porch this evening. It was Fonzie, Richie, Potsie and Ralph and the gang at Arnold’s… Those were “Happy Days”. Those were the days before America woke up but those “good times” gave birth to a monster. Somewhere amongst the milk shakes, cokes and French fries,  someone ordered a basket of Hate along with a new culture on the side…Thus was born The Culture of Hate. We flew into the sixties heading for the moon, got there in 1969. Before that in 1964 along came LBJ, the Civil Rights Act and Viet Nam. Somewhere in all of this and before, there was a small voice screaming to be heard…Martian Luther King. Now here is my Ponder for the day. My generation has been named the Silent Generation… The Silent Generation (1928-1945): Came of age during the post-war era, known for their conformist attitudes and silent approach to political and social issues. We didn’t speak up when they turned the dogs lose on people, used the high pressure firehoses or in some cases physical force. We saw the coming of age of such people who used the misery of their own people to gain influence and wealth. I know we have jumped around on these dates but all of us are just sharing our thoughts as they come about. All this time festering in the background our schools and churches were under pressure to join this culture change that was now gaining traction. By now this new way of dealing with others of different agendas reached its ugly height…in In November 1963, JFK was murdered, RFK June of ’68. But it didn’t stop there, in April of ’68 MLK was murdered. It happened before our very eyes. We saw the birth of this Culture of Hate and reacted without compassion or reason, giving them a platform in the minds of others and becoming just like them. I will answer a question asked many years ago… Why can’t we just get along? The answer…Because we have chosen not to!

Ponder That! 

Kurt