The 1960’s song “Blowin’ in the Wind,” written by Bob Dylan, surely received its most beautiful rendition when it was sung by the folk group Peter, Paul, and Mary. Their harmonies were absolutely gorgeous. Its purpose as a protest song was somewhat lost on me at the time, though. According to the song, the answer to the problems it addressed was blowin’ in the wind. I imagine this was supposed to mean that the solutions to these problems was coming very soon, thanks in part to the protest movement of the 60s. My interpretation at the time, however, was different. To me, it seemed that protest singers were like Li’l Abner’s Students Wildly Indignant about Nearly Everything (Mary Travers being a beautiful exception), and that the answers to the age-old problems of which they sang were elusive and that blowing in the wind meant that answers were no nearer than catching the wind.
One of the age-old problems of the time was racial discrimination. The Civil Rights movement was making progress in reducing prejudice, but it was also being co-opted by Marxists seeking to cause riots and division between Americans. Even worse, the Civil Rights movement was being co-opted by politicians who sought to buy votes through social spending. This resulted in the trapping of some in welfare poverty, the breakdown of welfare families, and the ensconcing of pandering politicians. The answer to those problems is still as elusive as the wind.
The song’s suggestion of banning war intersected with some of the contradictions I felt at the time. – I thought that it was the right thing to do for America to fight for the Vietnamese people against the communists, – BUT Americans were learning the sad truth about how badly the war was being fought in battles such as Hamburger Hill, and I didn’t want to go myself, – BUT if I was drafted, I would have gone and not run away, – BUT I drew a high lottery number, for which I was grateful.
Today, just as in the 60s, many of the answers are as elusive as the wind, not blowin’ in the wind.