Evolution or Devolution

I'm a child of the 60's and 70's. Yeap, smack in the middle of the sexual revolution and feminist movement. My children are grown and gone. We have one grandchild. Now's the time I get to review life in the US and assess how it's progressing. Evolution, that's the new catch word.

The trouble with this word is that the general understanding is that evolution is positive. I suppose it's understandable since most people view it from the perspective that the result means higher levels of fitness for survival. That through the process more positive traits are kept and negative ones fade away. The long term evidence endorses this. Nature shows this. What is not evident are the failures which led to extinction of species.

Back to my topic. Now the term evolution is being used for changes of opinion on moral and social issues. Just as in nature, there are changes which lead to dead ends. As I look back, it seems to me, the changes in attitude of the 60's and 70's have not led to positive evolution in our society.

From the sexual revolution we've gleaned AIDS, antibiotic resistant STD's, the glorification of deviate sex, abortion as birth control, to name a few. It has also led to exactly the opposite attitude toward and view of women than the feminist movement promoted.

The concept of women as equal to men in the workplace for wage and opportunity is valid. The concept that women should not be valued only for their looks, bra size and body weight is also a positive. That's what the entire burning of the bra thing was for. Let's take a look at what has resulted.

Women today are more worried about all those things than before. More cosmetic surgery is being done to young women and teens, not to correct body form but to remake normal women into someone "pretty".
Teen girls are asking for boob jobs for high school graduation. Why, because breast size has become such an important focus of our society. Why did we burn the bras again?

We have more eating disorders than ever before. Yes, I know there is better identification and treatment so more can be helped, but the acceptance of natural curves and healthy weights was more common.

The focus on being sexy is being emphasized at a younger and younger age. Can you say "Toddlers and Tiaras?" Even dance classes for youngsters put the girls in sexually oriented costumes and positions in the dance. And we wonder why there are pedophiles stalking our children. Why young teens are having sex earlier and earlier.

I could list many other areas where I believe we have devolved to a less successful society. I won't, at least now. If we look at the outcomes of many moral and social changes over the past 40 - 50 years has society progressed or regressed? Evolved or devolved? Look at the evolution of ideas we are being pushed toward by our leaders. Are we evolving or devolving?