I remember a vivid feeling of hopelessness -- in the years after the asassinations of JFK, King and RFK, it seemed to my teenage self that our government was out of control and every month brought new and disturbing developments. Rioting in the cities, the Vietnam war escalation, the public revelation of the Mai Lai massacre, Nixon's election as president -- all contributed to a growing malaise.

The desperate feelings were crystallized by the Kent State shootings. CSNY's song "Ohio" captured the mood of many young people, and it still takes me right back to that time.

Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are cutting us down
Should have been done long ago
What if you knew her and
found her dead on the ground?
How can you run when you know?

I believe the Kent State killings, and this song, too, helped to mobilize young people to oppose the Vietnam war in a way that they hadn't before. If young people on a college campus could be shot down for protesting the war, something was seriously wrong with our country and its policies.

It is a very important incident to remember. It reminds us that we must always keep a watchful and protective eye on the government and its power and abuses. We should always seek to limit government and empower people.

I see many common elements between then and today.

It seems the Corporatocracy of Barack Obama is once again pushing us in that terrible direction. From a promise of "Hope and Change" we have been betrayed with a goverment of Corporations, Unaccountable Bureaucrats and the Military joined as one overwhelming power to enslave the people with high taxes, dependency and intrusive government policies.

Wars that Obama promised to end have been escalated. The prosperity that he promised to all has been given to Wall St and the big banks but denied to the people. Like animals in a zoo we are supposed to be satisfied with dependency on government that feeds us a minimal daily stipend of unemployment comp. while destroying the business and entrepreneurial enterprises that would give us real prosperity. He has paid off Fannie/Freddie, banks,and Big Pharma with the money from our children's future earnings.

Progressives are unhappy, Libertarians are unhappy and the Conservatives are armed to the teeth and ready to have at it at the polling place or in the streets. One can only wonder where.

It is a sad and desperate time with so many of my friends laid off and losing their homes.

It reminds me very much of the Vietnam Era but worse because of all the foreclosures, layoffs and the future ramifications of the massive debt this government has incurred on our behalf.

Prosperity is no where in sight nor is peace.