Well folks, you sure have given me a lot of reading! I'm VERY impressed with the comments that have posted on this thread. It obviously is a question that still evokes much feeling, and that's as it should be. Those times were mind boggeling to me, in retrospect. I enjoyed "Toadfrogs" comments ... "I sang the reddist songs I could find." Yes, (we) did too. "Harry Polock" was one. "Banks of Marble" another. I remember we often resorted to Wobblie songs, not out of true working mans sentiments, but just because they sounded rebelious. I'd love to hear Bruce Phillips (Utah Phillips) comments on that. I thing that Kendal, and others (Don Firth) makes a very good point: "I have not trusted anything my leaders have told me." That point is one of the strongest heritages, I think, to the era. A very strong disstrust of our government. It certainly is true for me. Another heritage I feel keenly today is a sensitivity to unfairness when I see it in society. I ran into it just a couple of weeks ago when a family member e-mailed me some information that I thought was blatant racism and religious intolerance. And, my 1950's and 60's experiences with racial issues taught me much. Yes, I was also called a "nigger lover." And yet, I also felt the strong ostracism being the only member of the theater group. Years later, I was also the only white person living in an all black YMCA in Indiannapolis Indiana. I was there for three months of schooling. Another lasting effect of my growing up in those times and experiencing as much as I could, today results in something that I would call a sense of courage, for lack of a better term. As a teenager, I learned, often by example, NOT to turn away from tough issues. Take a stand. Be counted. Speak up. And I'm still the same way today ... just ask my neighbors! Enough for now, I've 'gotta go build a deck! (next time I pose a question, I think I'll ask something controversial hee hee). CHEERS, Bob(deckman)Nelson