Not Angry in America

To the Editor: 
Unlike the author of a letter ‘Voting Angry in America,’ I can’t say that I am angry or even believe that America is on the wrong track. Some things that are going on are troublesome, but what’s new about that? The U.S. “going off a cliff?” “Any sane person would be angry?”
I don’t know about that.
I’m 73 and like to think I’m sane. I’m sometimes disappointed, but not angry. Some of my friends seem to have gotten much angrier as they’ve aged, but I haven’t mainly because I appreciate what we’ve gained.
There has been a lot of talk about the decline of America by Republicans. Many of them seem very angry about something. Mostly they seem to lay the blame on government.
I don’t see it.
Our homicide rates are about what they were when I was growing up in the 50s. We’re richer; we’re over all better educated. Child abductions by strangers seem to be about where they were in the 50s. Home ownership is up by about 10 percent. Racism is definitely much less. The percentage of people in poverty has remained the same, but mostly because we‘ve redefined poverty. Our clothing is lighter, more rainproof and more colorful, our cars safer and more reliable and we have a much wider selection of food. Our homes are warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
I see vast improvement in the treatment of childhood diseases and some in longevity. I see much more ease for senior citizens due to Social Security and Medicare.
Where I see a decline is in the crowded conditions in roads, schools, and loss of habitat which is mostly due to population increase. I see a decline in overall community cohesiveness because people stay indoors more with their media.
I see much more indebtedness and vastly more advertising, and the presence of media, but most of that is due to business. So, too, is the much greater general consumption and obesity. We seem more fearful now, but that is due to media.
I am very disturbed with the growing inequality of wealth and income, but that is due to changing values on the part of the rich. It has little to do with government and where government has failed to act, it is usually due to outdated Republican obstruction.
Unlike the writer from Court House who last week claimed we are losing our liberties due to some imagined “shredding” of the Constitution by Democrats, I can’t think of any instances of liberties I’ve lost in 73 years due to either party. We have a Supreme Court to decide if the Constitution is being violated and they have found little.
I fail to see much, if any, more restrictions on my liberty than I ever had. More rules, certainly. Some unnecessary rules, of course, but mostly that is the result of trying to deal with population increase.
Where I do see a definite decline is in the hopes and dreams of Americans, but I think that is due mostly to the fact that we have so many elderly citizens now. It’s interesting that Bernie Sanders attracts many younger voters with his optimistic “Great Leap Forward” slogan, whereas Trump attracts angry, older voters who want to lead the U.S. back to some unspecified mythical golden age with his ‘Make America Great Again.’
In short, I think Republican anger is due more to aging and personal frustration than to reality.
After all, old people longing for the “good old days” is nothing new.