The People: The Summer of Discontent

Summer had come with a rush. On the biggest holiday weekend of the season, highways were blue with the vapor trails of traffic. Eastern beaches were alive with humanity; campers struggled up the slopes of the Rockies, the Smokies and the high Sierra. On Midwestern lakes, motorboats roared over the placid water, pulling skiers like dragonflies behind. The U.S. seemed relaxed, and in regard to the people's personal affairs, it was. But beneath the suntanned surface, when U.S. citizens thought of their country there was uneasiness and discontent.

The discontent stemmed from feelings and fears about the position of...

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