Apropos

In the early seventies I started a collection of campaign pins. I called it my button collection. It started small and began to snowball over time. Eventually I had two large bulletin boards crammed with slogans, clever sayings and suspect political opinions. About twenty years ago I stopped actively collecting and haven't thought too much about it since then. Recently Allie opted for a cleaner decorating look and ejected the buttons from her room. For the first time in many years I actually read them.

It is rather shocking to see how little times have changed. And why did I have such passionate ideas back then? The politicians are different, but the politics are the same. On the other side of the world, people are fighting for democracy. It seems that another dictator is ousted every week. Earthquakes and tsunamis are wreaking havoc and we fear nuclear meltdowns. We're more worried than ever about the environment. Gay rights and women's rights are still a struggle. And what do my buttons say about me? I was at the end of the baby boom, in the middle of the sexual revolution and at the forefront of the green movement.

Recycling was different back them. One Saturday morning a month you could deliver your newspapers to a local shopping center to be recycled. A couple times I volunteered on the collection truck. Even at age thirteen, it felt important. By that time I had a well developed social consciousness. I'd been deeply influenced by my parents who were liberal Democrats. Even though they divorced when I was six, their social views were perfectly aligned. Anti-war, pro-civil rights. We marched on Washington several times in massive demonstrations against the Vietnam War. We listened to protest music. We recycled and composted. We were like some of the young families in my community today, but forty- five years ago we were on the cutting edge.

We lived near the Hudson River which was polluted. Pete Seeger got involved and toured around on his sloop, "The Clearwater", to raise money and awareness. This early activism was before it became trendy for musicians to support causes. Before Bono and Willie Nelson and Farm Aid and Africa Aid and AIDS aid. It was the sixties and the seventies.

It took me a while to understand that our family was not like most of my friends' families and I was not like most of my friends. I was more like a worried adult in a child's body. Now I'm like a worried child in an adult body. I look forward to the day all the parts will match, but really, what's the chance? My mother used to say that she didn't care what we did when we grew up as long as we were good people. I took the mantra to heart, but wasn't sure I knew what it meant.

I had a few good friends who were Catholic and I'd sometimes go to Mass with them. Confession made no sense to me. It seemed you could do whatever you wanted and then be absolved by a few " Our Fathers" and "Hail Marys". That just didn't seem right. And what really bothered me was that these kids littered! I thought that was absolutely terrible. Didn't they know it was wrong to litter? I must have been a ton of fun.

One of the strongest values I learned then has helped me with my own parenting. Moral development is an internal process. We need to teach the value of right from wrong, not fear of consequences. Being afraid of consequences isn't enough to produce proper behavior. It just makes you really careful about getting caught. Doing the right thing because it IS the right thing is what makes good behavior. Rewarding grades or athletic goals with cash or presents doesn't ultimately work. The motivation has to come from within. Ironically, we seem so quick to dole out positive consequences in the form of rewards, but are reluctant to make our kids live with negative consequences. We hasten to rescue them instead of letting them learn the lessons they need to learn.

It was easier for me because my kids didn't have cellphones when they were young and couldn't call or text me about every, little thing they'd forgotten to do or bring. It would have to be important enough to go to the school office to use the phone. If I did rescue them I'd be so grumpy about it they were probably sorry they'd asked. In Middle School the girls had flour sack babies. They were responsible for these babies and could NOT screw it up. The "babies" had to be in their custody at all times. I'll never forget the near hysterical call I got from Lana who'd forgotten her "baby" at home. She obviously wasn't ready to be a mother and my idea of being a grandmother didn't involve a five pound sack of flour. It still doesn't. I'm thinking squirmy and cuddly with a sweeter smell.

I digress. Back to the buttons. I collected a lot of them when I worked in nightclubs in San Francisco. It seemed every band used buttons for promo. The good, the bad and the ugly, here is a sampling of the collection.

Anti-War:
War is not Healthy for Children and other Living Things
Levitate the Pentagon
300 More Today
No War
POW's never have a nice day
Draft Beer not Boys
People's Peace Treaty

San Francisco:
I Survived the Rainbow Grocery Check-Out Line
Twinkie Terrorist
Biafra for Mayor
Free Angela
I was serviced by Suzi Skates
I didn't jump - Golden Gate Bridge

Religion:
Trust in God - she will understand
Religion is the problem - not the answer
We are all Zionists
Free Soviet Jewry

Human Rights:
Poor People's Campaign - 1968
A woman's place is in the House and the Senate
We Shall Overcome
Boycott non-UFW grapes

Gay Rights:
Better Blatant than Latent
Ray for Mr. Gay SF '76
Don't feed or tease the straight people
Preserve Freedom - Stop Briggs

Nuclear Power:
Better active today than radioactive tomorrow
No more Harrisburgs
Stop nuclear power
Hard Rock Cafe - No drugs or nuclear weapons allowed inside

So Not PC:
Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke
Smile if you're a Streaker
Under 35 Unite
Rich punks on coke
Nuke the Whales
Disco Sucks
After two...Cork the Stork
I Sag
Don't Hold Your Breath
Save Time - See it my Way

Sexual Liberation:
Just another one night stand
Young blondes turn on fast
Deep, considerate, sensitive and horny

Philosophy:
Feel far removed
Think Summer
It's getting deep in here

SF Bands:
The Invasions
Tommy Tutone
Sharp
Nu Models
The Kids
Instamoids
Roc Mono
The Hoovers
Fun Addicts
Strap D'Etro
Spectators
Cha Cha Billy
Anarchy
Humans
SVT
Kid Courage
The Tigers

Politics:
Youth for Kennedy
I like Ike
Impeachment with Honor
McGovern '72
Goldwater - Miller
McCarthy
LBJ for the USA
Woodrow Wilson - Man of the Hour
Supervisor Harry Britt
I Want Roosevelt Again
I'm for Nixon
Johnson- Humphrey 1964

Ah. The more things change, the less they seem to change. In 1790 Abigail Adams was complaining about partisanship in government. We've got newly elected Republicans wanting to reverse reproductive rights. Wisconsin. A possible budget shut down. We're still fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and don't even mention Libya. I'll have to put my fingers in my ears and then go pick out a button to wear.