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Back Then and Now
Darci LaBonte 2/28/10 Writing 121 Wed Morn April Carothers Draft: Final (re-write #1) Word Count 1462 ‘Back Then’ and Now "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
— Martin Luther King Jr.
My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. … Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents. So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans… — Barack Obama · · ·
As I read these three quotes, I can’t help but notice the similarities in the tone of the words, two quotes are from 1961 and one is from 2009. There has always seemed to be talk of war, peace, hate and love throughout history, in that things have not changed. But as I continued to delve into the year 1961 other things showed much difference to our world of today. I ran across a picture of an old newsroom (Capital), as you can see the men were all in white shirts and black ties and it brought to mind the fact that ‘back then’ girls still wore dresses and guys still dressed up esp. to take a girl on a date. Mothers stayed at home to raise the kids and fathers were happy to be the breadwinner of the family. No one owned a computer “back then.” The only games were “board games” and make believe games. (photo goes here) Capital Journal News Room 16 October 1961 Nineteen-sixty-one was the tail-end of the baby boomer generation. A lot has changed in 48 short years. In 1961, the average income of America’s 44 million families was $5,315 (Pearson). In 2009, the average income for an American family was $47,800 due to the recession (Manuel). In 48 years the average income had increased only 8.9%. The main difference between 1961 and 2009 is that most families need two incomes to reach the $47,800 figure whereas 48 years ago only the father usually worked. Logic dictates that if annual income has risen tenfold in 48 years, then the cost of most items has probably risen about the same. I found that this logic is correct in many categories, but not in all. In 1961 the average price for a gallon of milk was $.49 (Pearson). Today, that gallon of milk averages around $3.00. It really is quite amazing that something as vital as milk has only gone up six times in price in 48 years. The price of most other things has definitely gone up more rapidly and dramatically. In 1961 gasoline averaged around 27 cents per gallon (Pearson). This should be surprising since only a few years ago it was still around a dollar. But, even if you took the high average today of $3.00, that is only a tenfold increase in 48 years in one of the most volatile commodities on the market. Of course at the rate of increase gasoline has gone up, that would put a gallon of milk at $5. Thank goodness the rate of inflation for milk has not kept up with oil. ‘Back then’, the postage stamp was 4 cents (Pearson). Now it is 44 cents (at least this week). Calculating the difference in the cost of a loaf of bread is a little more difficult. There are so many kinds of bread out there today that it is very hard to compare apples and apples, but in 1961 a loaf of bread cost 22 cents (Pearson) and today the range is from $1.90 to 3.90. A dozen eggs cost 30 cents (Pearson) 48 years ago and many times they cost barely over a dollar today. Most things that are still bought and sold today are about 10 times more expensive than they were 48 years ago. Even “big ticket” items follow this same rule of thumb. The average cost of a new car in 1961 was $2,850 (Pearson). Today, the average price for a new vehicle is about $28,000. Although vehicle prices have gone up 10 times, the average for today’s vehicles includes SUVs and luxury cars. It also takes into account the incredible advances in technology found in today’s vehicles. In 1961, the average price for a house in the United States was $2,770 (Pearson). Can you believe that! A house and a car cost roughly the same thing! Now consider what the average price of a house is today; $212,800. The average price of a house 48 years ago represented 50% of the annual income for the average family. The average price today is just over four times MORE than the average family makes in a year. ‘Back then’ the monthly mortgage payment was a less than $100 per month. Today, the average family in this country has a house payment of around $1,250 per month. All things being equal, if nothing else had changed between 1961 and today; then the amount paid each month for the house payment would not be much different than 48 years ago (the rule of things increasing tenfold), but all things are not equal. Today’s economy is a result of our failing financial mentality; we have to look at the ‘I want it now, not later’ mindset. Most people 48 years ago bought a house and lived in it for most, if not all of the 30 years of the mortgage. Today, people want to move into bigger and fancier houses after a few years. They never get to an equity position. If they do, they get home equity loans for toys, vacations, and other “things” and suddenly have not only a house note, but also a home equity loan. Add in a couple of car loans, college loans and medical expenses. Once again, people cannot afford the home they live in. There was a time in this country, not too many years ago, when people simply “made do” with what they had and could afford. With the advent of credit cards and cheap credit lines, people have been conditioned to get whatever they want, when they want it. There is no financial discipline or maturity to speak of. This ugly mentality is now being passed on the next generation who has been conditioned to have everything they want without working for it, saving for it or waiting for it. The old values learned by those who suffered through the Great Depression have died off with that generation. The baby boomer generation ushered in the greatest spending spree in American history. With it has come utter incompetence in financial matters at home, and within businesses. Perhaps this recession or even the depression as some are calling it has not been all bad for this country. At the very least it would provide a wakeup call to millions of people. People might begin to understand that you can’t keep spending what you do not have without someday suffering the consequences for it. Think of how things would be today if we still thought financially the way we did ‘Back then’, when ‘making do’ wasn’t thought of as being poor or down and out but as the norm for everyday life. I think there could/would be a turnaround in our economy if bigger and better wasn’t sought after so readily without thinking of the future penalties for us and our children.
King, Jr., Martin Luther. http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/show_tag?name=inspirational. Chandler, Otis, n.d. Web. 6 Feb 2010 Kennedy, John F. “Inaugural Address 1961”. http://www.lovelybonesquotes.com/author/John_F._Kennedy,_inaugural_address,_1961/. N.p. n.d. Web. 6 Feb 2010. Obama, Borack. “Inaugural Speech 2009.” http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/20/obama.politics/index.html. Cable News Network, 20 Jan 2009. Web. 6 Feb 2010 Capital Journal News Room 16 October 1961, http://www.flickr.com/photos/ooocha/2514868957/. Yahoo.com. n.d. Web. 6 Feb 2010 Pearson, Stephen. “The Year 1961 from The People History.” http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1961.html. ukwebstart.com. n.d. Web. 6 Feb 2010 Manuel, Dave. “Median Household Income May Drop 5% in 2009.” http://www.davemanuel.com/2009/12/29/average-income-in-the-united-states-will-continue-to-drop-in-2009/. DaveManuel.com, 29 Dec 2009. Web. 7 Feb 2010
— Martin Luther King Jr.
| Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans, born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today, at home and around the world! — John F. Kennedy |
As I read these three quotes, I can’t help but notice the similarities in the tone of the words, two quotes are from 1961 and one is from 2009. There has always seemed to be talk of war, peace, hate and love throughout history, in that things have not changed. But as I continued to delve into the year 1961 other things showed much difference to our world of today. I ran across a picture of an old newsroom (Capital), as you can see the men were all in white shirts and black ties and it brought to mind the fact that ‘back then’ girls still wore dresses and guys still dressed up esp. to take a girl on a date. Mothers stayed at home to raise the kids and fathers were happy to be the breadwinner of the family. No one owned a computer “back then.” The only games were “board games” and make believe games. (photo goes here) Capital Journal News Room 16 October 1961 Nineteen-sixty-one was the tail-end of the baby boomer generation. A lot has changed in 48 short years. In 1961, the average income of America’s 44 million families was $5,315 (Pearson). In 2009, the average income for an American family was $47,800 due to the recession (Manuel). In 48 years the average income had increased only 8.9%. The main difference between 1961 and 2009 is that most families need two incomes to reach the $47,800 figure whereas 48 years ago only the father usually worked. Logic dictates that if annual income has risen tenfold in 48 years, then the cost of most items has probably risen about the same. I found that this logic is correct in many categories, but not in all. In 1961 the average price for a gallon of milk was $.49 (Pearson). Today, that gallon of milk averages around $3.00. It really is quite amazing that something as vital as milk has only gone up six times in price in 48 years. The price of most other things has definitely gone up more rapidly and dramatically. In 1961 gasoline averaged around 27 cents per gallon (Pearson). This should be surprising since only a few years ago it was still around a dollar. But, even if you took the high average today of $3.00, that is only a tenfold increase in 48 years in one of the most volatile commodities on the market. Of course at the rate of increase gasoline has gone up, that would put a gallon of milk at $5. Thank goodness the rate of inflation for milk has not kept up with oil. ‘Back then’, the postage stamp was 4 cents (Pearson). Now it is 44 cents (at least this week). Calculating the difference in the cost of a loaf of bread is a little more difficult. There are so many kinds of bread out there today that it is very hard to compare apples and apples, but in 1961 a loaf of bread cost 22 cents (Pearson) and today the range is from $1.90 to 3.90. A dozen eggs cost 30 cents (Pearson) 48 years ago and many times they cost barely over a dollar today. Most things that are still bought and sold today are about 10 times more expensive than they were 48 years ago. Even “big ticket” items follow this same rule of thumb. The average cost of a new car in 1961 was $2,850 (Pearson). Today, the average price for a new vehicle is about $28,000. Although vehicle prices have gone up 10 times, the average for today’s vehicles includes SUVs and luxury cars. It also takes into account the incredible advances in technology found in today’s vehicles. In 1961, the average price for a house in the United States was $2,770 (Pearson). Can you believe that! A house and a car cost roughly the same thing! Now consider what the average price of a house is today; $212,800. The average price of a house 48 years ago represented 50% of the annual income for the average family. The average price today is just over four times MORE than the average family makes in a year. ‘Back then’ the monthly mortgage payment was a less than $100 per month. Today, the average family in this country has a house payment of around $1,250 per month. All things being equal, if nothing else had changed between 1961 and today; then the amount paid each month for the house payment would not be much different than 48 years ago (the rule of things increasing tenfold), but all things are not equal. Today’s economy is a result of our failing financial mentality; we have to look at the ‘I want it now, not later’ mindset. Most people 48 years ago bought a house and lived in it for most, if not all of the 30 years of the mortgage. Today, people want to move into bigger and fancier houses after a few years. They never get to an equity position. If they do, they get home equity loans for toys, vacations, and other “things” and suddenly have not only a house note, but also a home equity loan. Add in a couple of car loans, college loans and medical expenses. Once again, people cannot afford the home they live in. There was a time in this country, not too many years ago, when people simply “made do” with what they had and could afford. With the advent of credit cards and cheap credit lines, people have been conditioned to get whatever they want, when they want it. There is no financial discipline or maturity to speak of. This ugly mentality is now being passed on the next generation who has been conditioned to have everything they want without working for it, saving for it or waiting for it. The old values learned by those who suffered through the Great Depression have died off with that generation. The baby boomer generation ushered in the greatest spending spree in American history. With it has come utter incompetence in financial matters at home, and within businesses. Perhaps this recession or even the depression as some are calling it has not been all bad for this country. At the very least it would provide a wakeup call to millions of people. People might begin to understand that you can’t keep spending what you do not have without someday suffering the consequences for it. Think of how things would be today if we still thought financially the way we did ‘Back then’, when ‘making do’ wasn’t thought of as being poor or down and out but as the norm for everyday life. I think there could/would be a turnaround in our economy if bigger and better wasn’t sought after so readily without thinking of the future penalties for us and our children.
King, Jr., Martin Luther. http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/show_tag?name=inspirational. Chandler, Otis, n.d. Web. 6 Feb 2010 Kennedy, John F. “Inaugural Address 1961”. http://www.lovelybonesquotes.com/author/John_F._Kennedy,_inaugural_address,_1961/. N.p. n.d. Web. 6 Feb 2010. Obama, Borack. “Inaugural Speech 2009.” http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/20/obama.politics/index.html. Cable News Network, 20 Jan 2009. Web. 6 Feb 2010 Capital Journal News Room 16 October 1961, http://www.flickr.com/photos/ooocha/2514868957/. Yahoo.com. n.d. Web. 6 Feb 2010 Pearson, Stephen. “The Year 1961 from The People History.” http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1961.html. ukwebstart.com. n.d. Web. 6 Feb 2010 Manuel, Dave. “Median Household Income May Drop 5% in 2009.” http://www.davemanuel.com/2009/12/29/average-income-in-the-united-states-will-continue-to-drop-in-2009/. DaveManuel.com, 29 Dec 2009. Web. 7 Feb 2010
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