Watching
the
non-stop
media
coverage
of
the
back-to-back
Democratic
and
Republican
national
conventions,
I’m
reminded
of
the
first
national
political
convention
that
ever
caught
my
attention.
It
was
1968,
some
40
years
ago,
a
historic
presidential
convention
held
that
time
in
Chicago.
Richard
J.
Daley,
amid
the
witnesses
of
national
broadcast
and
print
media,
brought
forth
the
Illinois
National
Guard
to
disperse
the
Vietnam
War
protesters,
creating
the
nation’s
ugliest
riots
to
date.
Never
before
had
such
an
action
been
taken.
Never
before
was
our
nation’s
youth
completely
frustrated
with
the
loss
of
greatness
of
the
1960’s
—
two
Kennedys,
one
King
and
Malcolm
X
—
and
being
thrown
into
a
war
that
was
senseless
and
without
cause
except
to
serve
the
purposes
of
the
neo-conservative
right
to
fight
communism
in
South
East
Asia.
From
that
Democratic
convention,
Hubert
H.
Humphrey
became
the
party’s
chosen
candidate.
That
ghastly
convention
was
a
vivid
reminder
of
the
times
that
those
who
lived
through
chose
not
to
remember,
and
that
often
are
not
taught
in
today’s
Modern
History
classes.
“Love
it
or
leave”
was
the
slogan
of
the
day.
Our
political
process
is
a
two-party
system.
Imperfect
as
it
is,
it
is
what
we
are.
As
a
ten
year
old,
I
was
proud
to
join
in
my
family’s
Democratic
support
as
an
envelope
stuffer
for
HHH,
as
he
was
known.
Humphrey,
President
Johnson’s
vice
president,
did
not
have
the
president’s
support.
Johnson,
a
man
who
would
not
have
ever
been
president
without
the
aid
of
an
assassin’s
bullet
and
Lady
Bird’s
money,
could
not
seek
re-election
as
he
was
the
sitting
president
of
our
nation’s
most
unpopular
war.
And
because
of
his
own
ego,
he
would
not
aid
the
Democrat
Party
in
retaining
the
White
House.
HUMPHREY
WAS
AMERICA’S
last
great
statesman,
cut
in
the
cloth
of
the
Roosevelt
New
Deal
era.
What
if
we
could
have
changed
history
and
Humphrey
had
won
the
White
House
in
1968?
What
would
have
changed?
We
would
have
exited
the
Vietnam
War.
The
White
House
would
have
been
spared
the
dishonor
of
having
a
presidential
resignation.
Trade
to
China
would
not
have
been
opened
in
1971,
leaving
our
manufacturing
sector
in
place.
The
gold
standard
would
have
been
maintained.
The
1973
Oil
Embargo
could
have
been
avoided.
The
economic
decline
of
the
1970’s
may
have
been
prevented.
Corporate
ownership
of
all
media
would
have
been
denied.
Ford,
Carter,
Reagan,
Bush,
Clinton
and
Bush
the
second
would
never
have
seen
the
White
House.
The
decline
of
America’s
great
middle
class
might
never
have
happened.
The
Supreme
Court
would
still
be
supreme.
Did
you
watch
the
Summer
Olympics?
What
you
did
not
see
is
a
nation
whose
air
and
water
have
been
devastated
by
our
government’s
policies
over
these
past
40
years,
where
much
of
our
country’s
wealth
has
been
transferred
overseas.
And
yet
the
current
administration
refuses
to
acknowledge
the
Kyoto
Accords.
How
is
that
for
an
inconvenient
truth?
We
wonder
why
American
policy
is
detested
worldwide.
AS
THE
2008
REPUBLICAN
National
Convention
got
underway
this
week,
who
would
have
thought
that
283
protesters
would
be
arrested
on
the
first
day?
I
agree
with
peaceful
protest,
but
any
violence
should
not
be
tolerated.
Minnesota,
the
site
of
this
year’s
GOP
convention,
was
Hubert
Humphrey’s
home
state.
But
it
is
also
the
state
that
elected
former
professional
wrestler
Jesse
Ventura
as
governor
when
its
citizens
became
disenchanted
with
politics
as
usual.
This
is
2008,
not
1968.
What
could
possibly
create
a
situation
that
people
are
compelled
to
violent
acts?
In
1968,
the
largest
and
youngest
group
of
Americans
were
drafted
into
a
war
that
few
believed
in
and
in
their
frustration,
our
frustration,
lashed
out
at
the
institutions
that
were
to
deny
them
their
lives.
Today,
the
protests
are
not
simply
about
a
questionable
war.
They
are
also
about
the
economy,
health
care,
work
and
civil
rights.
And
the
party
in-charge
is
perceived
to
be,
and
rightfully
so,
as
the
foe
to
those
Americans.
AT
THIS
POINT,
YOU
MAY
WONDER
just
how
biased
I
am.
I
won’t
deny
it.
But
in
2008,
I
am
not
thinking
just
about
1968.
I’m
also
thinking
more
about
2048.
I’ll
just
be
turning
90
then
and
I
truly
wonder
what
type
of
world
we
will
be
living
in.
The
choices
that
we
will
be
make
today
will
create
a
tomorrow
that
we
cannot
comprehend,
just
as
in
1968
to
2008.
2008
is
historic.
We
are
living
through
history.
Is
our
country
ready
to
make
an
about
face?
I
certainly
hope
so.
The
next
president
will
change
the
...
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