Part 40 Our World Experiences Social and Individual Change
Periodically it is important to take a look around us, beyond the doors of our world, our sometimes close-knit world of Peoples United Methodist Church. The United was added as a result of merger with the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church internationally in 1968.
For the United States we would leave the Viet Nam War officially in 1975 in great part to the demands of a protesting public who had grown increasingly discontented with government policy in that region. The loss of life had grown, as had the cost in dollars, dollars that many felt could have been spent more wisely even at home. It was not often that “The War” was a topic of sermons on a Sunday, but certainly was often the center of conversation by members of the church.
Protest and social activism grew during the early 1970’s on other issues as well. In 1971 the United States Constitution was the recipient of the addition of Amendment 26 which led the right to vote for anyone over the age of 18. In a number of states including the state of Maine the drinking age for a period of time was also lowered to 18. One of the philosophies that contributed to both was the belief that if a man could be drafter into service at 18 they should be allowed to vote and to drink as well. Many arms of the Christian community were supportive of the right to vote, but were reluctant to extend the drinking age downward. Abuse of that privilege was often abused and eventually a number of states including the state of Maine raised the age again.
The Equal Rights Amendment for women was passed in the Senate but after seven years it failed to reach ratification by 3/4ths of the states. The movement at least certainly raised the attention of all to the position of women in various aspects of life and while injustices even today still seem to exist the impetus of that era seemed to have a lasting effect in the equality efforts for women.
Politically the war, the economy, and dishonesty in electioneering led to first the resignation of a Vice President, Spiro Agnew and later the first resignation of office by a sitting President in American History. Richard Nixon was that President. Just 10 years before these events took place the American Government must have known this turmoil would happen. Because of other circumstances the Senate and the legislatures of the states approved of Amendment 25 to the Constitution. This provided a new method of succession in the event that the President and/or the Vice President were unable to continue their duties. At the time neither the President (Lyndon Johnson) nor the Vice President were in the best of health. The line of succession would have then gone to the Speaker of the House who was in his late 80’s and then the President pro tempore of the Senate who’s age was 96. Following that the line would go through cabinet members who had been appointed officials rather than elected. Amendment 25 allowed for the President with the advice and consent of the Senate to appoint a new Vice President (Gerald Ford) to take the place of Mr. Agnew. When President Nixon resigned later, Mr. Ford became the new President. In turn once in office, Nelson Rockefeller through the same process became the Vice President. The irony in this process led to the first President and Vice President to have gained those positions without having a public election. Certainly this was not the intent of the Amendment, but since it was part of the highest law of the land its interpretation led to this form of implementation of the succession process.
The 1970’s were the period of introducing soft contact lenses. It is the period when the CAT scan was introduced. This instrumentation was actually created by EMI records from vast amounts of moneys earned through the sale of Beatles records. It was the time of Dr. Henry Heimlich and the Heimlich Maneuver. On another serious medical note lung cancer became the second most common cancer in women. It is rather ironic that cigarette and other tobacco sales hit their high point during the mid ‘70’s. According to those who keep statistics on serious illness the last-known case of smallpox was reported worldwide in Somalia in 1977. 1978 was the year of the first reported “test tube” baby, Louise Brown, who was born in London, England. While Louise was being born in England, the Roe v. Wade case legalized abortion in the United States. On the other side of life the Supreme in 1972 brought an end for execution for criminal actions yet reversed that decision 5 years later.
Some great strides were made in the arena of technology and transportation. Frederick Smith at age 27 founded Federal Express in 1972 giving the U.S. Postal Service its first major rival since Railway Express. Nike Inc. founded in the same year set in motion a revolution in the athletic shoe industry. Primitive word processors were introduced in offices providing text editing on the machine. Microsoft as a business was founded in Seattle by Paul Allen a 22 year old and his partner, 19year-old Harvard dropout, Bill Gates in 1975. The following year college-dropouts, Stephen Wozniak and Steven Jobs found Apple Computers in a garage. Fax machines and word processors become standard in office computerization. 98% of all American households had at least one television.
In addition to the war in Viet Nam the United States were concerned with rapid changes that were taking place in the Soviet Union, China and India. The mid-east was not without conflict with Arabs and Israelis sniping at each other. Some of the difficulties that involved especially the Middle East led to the first major spike in the price of oil products in the United States. The small country of Lebanon appeared to be on the verge of civil war. Northern Ireland was terror filled as it had been off and on for several decades.
In the realm of entertainment moral values seemed too many to have taken a dive from before the influence of the Viet Nam Conflict. Broadway productions included Cabaret, Pippin and Grease while on the TV screen was MASH and in movies was The Godfather. Don Maclean’s American Pie was the major record hit of the year 1971.Foul Language, sexual content and violence all were more obvious in what was presented to mass audiences. American Culture was in a state of change. Many would frown on those changes, but few would respond with strong voice to these changes except perhaps in ever decreasing enclaves of moral maintenance.
The purpose of this entry in the history of Peoples United Methodist Church may seem a little strange, but at the same time we need to see what outside forces would have an influence on the life and directions that this church would take.
Periodically it is important to take a look around us, beyond the doors of our world, our sometimes close-knit world of Peoples United Methodist Church. The United was added as a result of merger with the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church internationally in 1968.
For the United States we would leave the Viet Nam War officially in 1975 in great part to the demands of a protesting public who had grown increasingly discontented with government policy in that region. The loss of life had grown, as had the cost in dollars, dollars that many felt could have been spent more wisely even at home. It was not often that “The War” was a topic of sermons on a Sunday, but certainly was often the center of conversation by members of the church.
Protest and social activism grew during the early 1970’s on other issues as well. In 1971 the United States Constitution was the recipient of the addition of Amendment 26 which led the right to vote for anyone over the age of 18. In a number of states including the state of Maine the drinking age for a period of time was also lowered to 18. One of the philosophies that contributed to both was the belief that if a man could be drafter into service at 18 they should be allowed to vote and to drink as well. Many arms of the Christian community were supportive of the right to vote, but were reluctant to extend the drinking age downward. Abuse of that privilege was often abused and eventually a number of states including the state of Maine raised the age again.
The Equal Rights Amendment for women was passed in the Senate but after seven years it failed to reach ratification by 3/4ths of the states. The movement at least certainly raised the attention of all to the position of women in various aspects of life and while injustices even today still seem to exist the impetus of that era seemed to have a lasting effect in the equality efforts for women.
Politically the war, the economy, and dishonesty in electioneering led to first the resignation of a Vice President, Spiro Agnew and later the first resignation of office by a sitting President in American History. Richard Nixon was that President. Just 10 years before these events took place the American Government must have known this turmoil would happen. Because of other circumstances the Senate and the legislatures of the states approved of Amendment 25 to the Constitution. This provided a new method of succession in the event that the President and/or the Vice President were unable to continue their duties. At the time neither the President (Lyndon Johnson) nor the Vice President were in the best of health. The line of succession would have then gone to the Speaker of the House who was in his late 80’s and then the President pro tempore of the Senate who’s age was 96. Following that the line would go through cabinet members who had been appointed officials rather than elected. Amendment 25 allowed for the President with the advice and consent of the Senate to appoint a new Vice President (Gerald Ford) to take the place of Mr. Agnew. When President Nixon resigned later, Mr. Ford became the new President. In turn once in office, Nelson Rockefeller through the same process became the Vice President. The irony in this process led to the first President and Vice President to have gained those positions without having a public election. Certainly this was not the intent of the Amendment, but since it was part of the highest law of the land its interpretation led to this form of implementation of the succession process.
The 1970’s were the period of introducing soft contact lenses. It is the period when the CAT scan was introduced. This instrumentation was actually created by EMI records from vast amounts of moneys earned through the sale of Beatles records. It was the time of Dr. Henry Heimlich and the Heimlich Maneuver. On another serious medical note lung cancer became the second most common cancer in women. It is rather ironic that cigarette and other tobacco sales hit their high point during the mid ‘70’s. According to those who keep statistics on serious illness the last-known case of smallpox was reported worldwide in Somalia in 1977. 1978 was the year of the first reported “test tube” baby, Louise Brown, who was born in London, England. While Louise was being born in England, the Roe v. Wade case legalized abortion in the United States. On the other side of life the Supreme in 1972 brought an end for execution for criminal actions yet reversed that decision 5 years later.
Some great strides were made in the arena of technology and transportation. Frederick Smith at age 27 founded Federal Express in 1972 giving the U.S. Postal Service its first major rival since Railway Express. Nike Inc. founded in the same year set in motion a revolution in the athletic shoe industry. Primitive word processors were introduced in offices providing text editing on the machine. Microsoft as a business was founded in Seattle by Paul Allen a 22 year old and his partner, 19year-old Harvard dropout, Bill Gates in 1975. The following year college-dropouts, Stephen Wozniak and Steven Jobs found Apple Computers in a garage. Fax machines and word processors become standard in office computerization. 98% of all American households had at least one television.
In addition to the war in Viet Nam the United States were concerned with rapid changes that were taking place in the Soviet Union, China and India. The mid-east was not without conflict with Arabs and Israelis sniping at each other. Some of the difficulties that involved especially the Middle East led to the first major spike in the price of oil products in the United States. The small country of Lebanon appeared to be on the verge of civil war. Northern Ireland was terror filled as it had been off and on for several decades.
In the realm of entertainment moral values seemed too many to have taken a dive from before the influence of the Viet Nam Conflict. Broadway productions included Cabaret, Pippin and Grease while on the TV screen was MASH and in movies was The Godfather. Don Maclean’s American Pie was the major record hit of the year 1971.Foul Language, sexual content and violence all were more obvious in what was presented to mass audiences. American Culture was in a state of change. Many would frown on those changes, but few would respond with strong voice to these changes except perhaps in ever decreasing enclaves of moral maintenance.
The purpose of this entry in the history of Peoples United Methodist Church may seem a little strange, but at the same time we need to see what outside forces would have an influence on the life and directions that this church would take.
posted by Arthur Tordoff | 8:11 AM
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