“Progressive” is defined as “favoring or advocating progress, improvement, or reform, esp. in political matters.” The American College Dictionary, 1962 ed., p. 968.
   Society in the United States seemed progressive in the 1960s, as compared to decades before. The concept of one person-one vote was given credence in Baker v. Carr, 369 U.S. 186 (1962).  The Civil Rights Act (1964) and the Voting Rights Act (1965) were Federal laws aimed at protection of the basic right to vote. The telephone directory lost its status as a means of eliciting confessions when Escobedo v. Illinois, 378 U.S. 478 (1964) and Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966) were handed down and law enforcement officers were required to advise people of those people’s rights before an interrogation could proceed. While United States incursion into the little-known Southeast Asian country of Vietnam had garnered early support, by the end of the decade the “Vietnam War”—although never declared a war as required by the United States Constitution—was opposed by many, as the tank treads of the military-industrial complex became jammed. Immigrants sought economic rights and looked to such groups as the United Farm Workers for support.
   Today the Pride Festival will take place downtown in Indianapolis. “Pride” celebrates a community, or group of communities, that was not given the protections or consideration of progressive movements of the 1960s. The gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities still were denied protection from criminal prosecution by the Court in Bowers v. Hardwick, 478 U.S. 186 (1986).
   A few years ago the strides toward recognition of the rights of LGBT people have been surprisingly fast. The United States Supreme Court indicated last year equal protection of the law, in regard to LGBT people, means equal protection of the law. Now marriage equality is on the verge of recognition and protection everywhere in this country.
   The Vietnam War was brought to a close, in large part, due to opposition of the people of this country to United States involvement in military operations that benefit only corporations and the moneyed interests of the infamous military industrial complex. Great strides were made for protection of the rights of all Americans.
   At least the spirit of the progressive movements of the 1960s lent itself to the drive for protection of rights, such as the LGBT community is on the verge of enjoying.
   Unfortunately, some people who oppose “all of the above.” For a shrinking number of people, the “good old days” of white male domination are preferred to an uncertain world in which white people no longer enjoy a majority of the population.
   If you support equal rights for all, I encourage you to attend Pride downtown in Indianapolis today. I do not know where our booth will be. I will post it on Face Book. We stream live, as always, from 11 am to 1 pm on Live365. Our channel is “7bitsofinfo.”