As Sheriff Buford T. Justice said, “Sumbitch, what this country isn’t coming to!”
The military soap opera starring Gen. David Petraeus and his wife, Gen. John Allen and his wife, Paula Broadwell and her husband, Jill Kelley and her husband and twin sister, and shirtless FBI agent Frederick Humphries has created a media firestorm. How do Americans really feel about this sex scandal? The answer is: Ho hum.
Back in my younger days, such a story would have created shockwaves throughout the nation. Today, hardly anyone would take notice if it weren’t for the firestorm created by the media. America is becoming more like France, where such an event would probably have led to the promotion of a general exposed as having a mistress.
America has been experiencing profound changes in attitudes concerning cultural and moral attitudes that started with the drug-fueled counter cultural revolution of the youths participating in the Vietnam War protest movement. There has been an attitude adjustment with the nation’s moral fiber ever since.
Teenage and out-of-wedlock pregnancies? There was a time when getting knocked-up before marriage was considered too shameful to talk about. Pregnant teens were kicked out of schools. Today, with the exception of the immediate families involve, hardly anyone really gives a shit. While some school districts send their pregnant students to special schools, pregnant teens are permitted to attend regular classes in many of the nation’s schools.
Cohabiting couples? There was a time when couples living together without being married were considered to be living in sin. Them days are gone forever. The 2010 Census indicated that 7.5 million couples were cohabiting, although several social scientists believe the number is much higher.
Abortions? There was a time when an overwhelming number of Americans were opposed to terminating pregnancies. Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision which struck down many state laws restricting abortion, changed all that. Today, the majority of Americans support a woman’s choice to terminate her pregnancy. While many see abortion as murder because they believe life starts at conception, the majority of Americans don’t see it that way because they believe that life does not start until the mother gives birth.
Marijuana? Back when I was busting drug users and dealers, marijuana was considered an evil and dangerous drug, which I still believe it is. All that changed with the counter cultural revolution of the Viet Nam War. Today, 16 states and the District of Columbia have legalized the use of marijuana for (unproven) medical purposes and now Washington and Colorado have legalized marijuana for recreational use.
Homosexuals, bisexuals, and transgenders? I can remember when Gays and Lesbians were considered immoral freaks by almost all Americans. Just look at where we are today. The largest city in Texas has an openly gay mayor. Kyrsten Sinema, a Phoenix Democrat, has become the first openly bisexual member of Congress. A Wisconsin congresswoman has become the first open lesbian elected to the U.S. Senate. On November 6, five openly gay Democrats were elected to Congress. And the voters of Maine, Maryland and Washington legalized gay marriage.
These attitude adjustments have impacted support for the Republican Party and played a role in the reelection of President Obama. Americans are just not buying bedrock conservatism. That holds especially true on the issue of abortions and contraceptives.
It is all well and good for social conservatives to insist on having the Republican Party maintain their core conservative values even if it costs them elections – which it already has – but if the party keeps on placing issues in its platform that the majority of Americans don’t buy, it does so at its own peril because then it stands a good chance of becoming irrelevant.
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