Boomers had power over their lives because we had rules and the vast majority followed them. Most were of the same mind and same heart. We viewed the 10 commandments in our homes, in our schools and in public. We knew them and could recite them. It was a healthy reminder to respect your creator. (the fear of the Lord) We pledged allegiance every day and had prayer at lunch. We studied civics, the constitution and the bill of rights and we were paddled by the teacher if we acted up. We were punished a second time if word reached our parents. Living in a rural area or the burbs, God, via nature was all around us. You witnessed it thru farm births, planting seeds, plowing the field with horses, hardship and a sense of community. Very few had a TV and what was broadcast appeared silly and uninteresting. Your parents bought a set of encyclopedias and everything you needed to know and learn was there. Your school assigned books to read and we had to give book reports. Life was organized, people were civil and you had the freedom to stay out all day alone as a child. We were taught chores and each of us had them. It made us responsible and self sufficient and tired. You had the freedom to learn on your own, all you wanted, or not. If you wanted to know how something worked or how to build, there was an adult close by to teach you. If you didn't know how to repair something, we couldn't call someone else. Books were everywhere and old people told stories around a campfire. You were taught to say Yes Ma'am and No ma'am, no matter what age you were. And that is powerful to a child to hear a grown man tip his hat and say those words to his elders. We were taught respect and humility. First of all it is unfair to lump everyone born from 1945 to 1964 in one group. If you take these dates and apply them to me and my mother, we would both be boomers. Sorry, but that ain't so. Also since I was born on the tail end of the timeline, when I was age 4,5 and 6 ; there were 17,18 and 19 year old boomers out in the street burning their bras and smoking weed in the big cities. They were nothing like me and my family, nor did they hold my values. Our parents and grandparents just came out of the depression, World War 2 and currently in Vietnam. We just wanted peace and quite, to earn a living, create children and worship. We were given a rifle for our birthday and were taught how to use them and clean them. We placed them in our trucks and drove them around in a unlocked vehicle. We never heard of a shooting of any kind. At the same time, we knew something was not quite right regarding the world we lived in. The Bible said this is not our home, it belongs to Satan. It also encouraged us to renew our minds daily on His Word. The FBI crept around our mountain and did alot of damage. They were after bootleggers trying to poison the white lighting. A few died. JFK was shot and we suspected it was our own government. The Tonkin accident was no accident. My Uncle served in Vietnam and his revelations solidified the corruption in the leadership of our military and Government. The Moon landing was false, who did they think we were, stupid? There were rumors of grave robbers being from the government and LSD appeared in our small town overnight, destroying lives. The FBI / Government were not aligned with our values and gave us an uneasy feeling. Soon they began to harass the farmers. So looking back I suppose the criminal element has been hidden in our government all along during every generation. And each generation will have to discover it and try to do something about it or not. Boomers have not been successful and with the technology today and the criminals in power, it remains to be seen. With a divided people our options are slim. In my mind, it has never been about the boomers or any generation from the masses; it has always been about the elitist parasites who are in it for themselves driven by greed, power and ego..... by Satan.