As an 83-year-old, I am astonished at the progress made since the 1960s in granting more rights and dignity to various groups.
Of course, the most obvious change has been in the treatment of African Americans (and other ethnic minorities).
But the most surprising has been the sea change in the treatment of gay people.
I remember how the vice cops here in Los Angeles would brag about entrapping thousands of gay men in the 1960s. And in New York City, the cops would try to get landlords to kick out gay tenants. President Johnson lost one of his most trusted aides when the latter was spied on in a public restroom by cops.
And I never even imagined that gay marriage would ever be a possibility. The most daring idea was just a civil union, which guaranteed certain rights to both partners.
A lot of bad words have been expressed about liberals. And some liberals have deserved the opprobrium. But in many ways, liberals are to be commended for their efforts to see that all human beings -- regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender, or sexuality -- are treated decently.
One anti-gay police chief here in California once said something like: "I have nothing against homosexuals. It just means more women for us real men."