Decade of Assassinations

As a gift from a dear friend, I received a collection of short prose by Charles Bukowski. Written between the late 60s and early 70s, they were published in various small literary and underground  periodicals. One of the pieces, he used the phrase "decade of assassinations" to describe the 60s.

That got me thinking (always a dangerous endeavor) about what went on in the world during my formative years. I believe that eras don't follow decades. 1962 was much more akin to the 50s than what we think of as the turbulent 60s. 1972 was more analogous to the 60s than the stereotype of the polyester, disco 70s. What a surprise, I digress!


Here are the 60s big hits: 1961 - Patrice Lumumba, 1963 - Medgar Evers, 1963 - John F. Kennedy, 1965 - Malcolm X, 1967 - Che Guevara, 1968 - Martin Luther King & Robert F. Kennedy.

Add to that the Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis, escalation of war in Southeast Asia, riots in Newark, Detroit and LA, the cultural revolution in China, civil wars in Africa, the Tlatelolco massacre in Mexico City, et. al.

So, during this special time of year what am I thankful for? I'm thankful that I'm not more demented than I am. I guess I'll chalk that up to good old rock & roll. As ever - BB



"The 60s ain't over till the fat lady gets high." - Ken Kesey