Don't Roll Over...Have a Voice

Is This a Rant?

**Possible Rant Warning**

So, hey, I have been kicking around this planet for a fair few decades and lived in periods of time where things appeared to herald an age of freedom in many ways.

Yes, I lived in the 70s (right old git eh?), and this was a time of much forward thinking, in my view anyway. Let’s look at what was going on in the 70’s:

Progressiveness:

• Continuation of 1960s Movements: The 1970s saw the continuation and evolution of many social justice movements that began in the 1960s, including:

• Women's Liberation Movement (Second-wave Feminism): This movement gained significant momentum, fighting for equal employment opportunities, reproductive rights (culminating in Roe v. Wade in 1973 in the US), and challenging gender stereotypes. Women made inroads into various professions and politics.

• Gay Liberation Movement: Building on earlier efforts, the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights intensified, with increased activism and the founding of more organisations.

• Civil Rights for Other Groups: Activism expanded to include Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, and other minority groups, seeking greater freedoms and challenging discrimination.

• Environmentalism: The 1970s marked the rise of the modern environmental movement, with the founding of organisations like Greenpeace and increased public awareness of ecological issues.

• Cultural Shifts: There was a strong emphasis on self-expression in fashion, music, and lifestyle, often breaking traditional norms. The counterculture aesthetic of the 60s permeated mainstream culture to a greater extent.

• Questioning Authority: A general restlessness and questioning of traditional authority figures and institutions (like government and big business) were prevalent, partly fueled by events like the Vietnam War and Watergate.

Freedom of Speech:

• Legal Precedents: The 1960s had laid significant legal groundwork for free speech, and the 1970s continued to test and refine these protections. Landmark Supreme Court cases like Cohen v. California (1971) affirmed the protection of even "offensive" speech, and New York Times Co. v. United States (1971) (the Pentagon Papers case) established strong protections against pre-publication restraints on the press.

• Increased Expression: As the decade dawned, technology made it cheaper and easier to create and transmit various forms of media, leading to an explosion in the volume and variety of widely available speech. New media ecosystems began to appear.

• Challenges and Debates: While there was a general expansion of protected speech, the 1970s also saw new challenges and debates:

• Obscenity: Debates continued about what constituted "obscenity" and whether it should be protected speech (e.g., Miller v. California, 1973).

• Commercial Speech: The Court extended some constitutional protection to commercial speech.

• Backlash: There was also a conservative backlash against many of the social and cultural changes of the 60s and 70s, which sometimes sought to limit certain forms of expression or promote traditional values. Grassroots organisations, including religious groups, gained political power and campaigned against what they saw as moral decline.

So, social justice and freedom of speech seemed to be a general route that society was destined for… well, we can dream, eh?

I even remember when political parties had clear mission statements, which made sense and sounded like more positives for society to come…how wrong I was.

Whilst I am not going to air which political framework I tend to lean towards, suffice it to say, political parties and their “aims” have become both a blur and a joke, in my humble opinion.

And, when you consider sexism and racism, look at a recent article I wrote, which was a period around the mid-80s:

One thing I did not highlight in that article was the continued racism and bullying that were still a feature of military life. I recall a guy on our intake, who initially wanted to be an RAF Police Officer, then changed his mind to wanting to be an RAF Fireman…people made it hard for him based on the colour of his skin…he eventually PVR’d (bought himself out)…that ain’t right! Which, if I am honest, I was very shocked about, and if sources serve me right, things haven’t changed that much even today…very, very sad.

Where are we now?

Gawd, we are regressing.

No one wants to stand up, no one wants to take responsibility.

Everyone (well, a lot of peeps) seems to want to roll over and be directed in what the ruling powers decree.

People are not speaking out, some are afraid, I know that, but society has become more controlled via the powers that be than about what the people want or need…

Aren’t the people important anymore?

Is tech the ultimate takeover of society, it being manipulated by the controllers and those with massive wealth?

Am I cynical?

I want people to realise their own responsibility in the future of mankind. We are at a turning point, and if you ignore it, well, mankind becomes a secondary part of society.

What are your thoughts?

What are your experiences (no matter what gender you are)?

Until Next Time

Dominus Owen Markham

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