The opinions shared here are those of the writer and not necessarily those of NightMoves and AAN

As the time draws closer each day to when I will begin my ninetieth trip around the sun, my mind begins to think about so many things. I have been through some really great times and some not so great times in almost ninety years. I grew up at time that was far, far different than growing up today. It was a time, in many ways, I wish still existed but life and the world move on bringing changes at every turn, some good, some not so good.

I went through a depression, WWII, Korea, Viet Nam, civil rights, assassinations, presidential embarrassments and all that before we reached the 1980’s! Think about that for a minute. I have been on this planet for sixteen (16) presidents and have voted for fourteen (14). The only two I was not old enough for was FDR and Truman.

Not to get political, but I also think back to when I was a kid growing up, going to school, and just being a kid. We played in the dirt and mud and probably got as much in our mouths as we did on our clothes. We played with toys that had lead paint on them (Oh, the horror!) We drank water out of a hose or a spicket and we ate real food that was grown on farms, shipped to stores, washed, cleaned and ready to be sold without a hundred different chemicals on them like they are today. That is one of the reasons why we buy all our fruits, veggies other food items from a nearby farmers/Amish market. I can tell you with certainty since we began doing that about 3 years ago Carole and I are eating a lot healthier and better and the numbers from our doctors prove it. Which leads me to one thing I hope happens.

I know lot of people are bent out of shape because RFK Jr. wants to scrap all the damaging chemicals from foods and I say have at it, please. Let these food companies go back to giving people healthy foods of all kinds again. Think about the obesity problem we have in this country. Look at teenagers today, they look more like young adults, like 14 going on 25. Back in my day teenagers looked like teenagers, there was very little obesity and people weren’t being bogged down by products with all these chemicals put in all types of food. All of these chemicals that have been added are a major contributor to the health problems we face today and why kid’s bodies are maturing at such a young age. So, RFK, get ‘er done and let’s have real food again to enjoy the way it used to be.

Then there is one of the biggest problems in government the Department of Education. It wasn’t even around until 1980 when President Carter put it together and it has been a major disaster. The student loan program, handing out scholarships like candy, student athletes being allowed to go from one college to another, not for education but for their sport. Making decisions on what you can read, what parts of history will be left out, etc. When I was in school there was the local school board, the county school board and the state board of education and we did fine we didn’t get told “you can’t read this”, “we will not teach this.” We learned about the real history, not the ones politicians today want you to learn. For those of you who grew up in the 60’s and 70’s you had the same thing as I did in who was running the schools. Scholarships were hard to come by, they were truly earned and not given away like a participation trophy. So, dismantling this department and returning the governing back to the states is the right thing. It worked all those years before and it can work again.

I know some of you will understand my points of view, some won’t and that’s okay. That’s the one thing about living in the U.S.A., the greatest country on the planet, we can all have opinions and agree to disagree. For now, as I near that ninth decade I just hope we can get back to the basics of what made us the greatest country in the world. Thank you for allowing me this time to offer my views on “then and now”.

Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN