When I was in high school debate and speech in the 1970s, we had plenty of things to argue about at our Saturday tournaments. Tremendous changes were wrenching society, with the continuing Civil Rights struggle after the 1968 riots, Women’s Lib, Gay Rights, and the sexual revolution. The number of people using illegal drugs was exploding, and social mores were being turned on their head. School busing was ripping communities apart, and large industries were beginning to falter. The President was forced to resign, and partisan rancor was intense. There were thousands of bombings in the USA, and active guerrilla movements. There was high unemployment, high inflation, and crime was skyrocketing. There were oil shortages and spikes in the cost of gasoline. An impending ice age was on its way, and the World would soon starve to death because of overpopulation. Men wore flared collars, bell bottoms, and platform shoes.

85 wars either began, continued, or ended through the 1970s including Vietnam, Yom Kippur, Sino-Vietnamese, India and Pakistan, the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, and civil wars in Nigeria, Lebanon, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Angola, Mozambique, and other countries, with guerrilla movements all over Latin America and liberation struggles in Southern Africa. There were terrorist attacks and hijackings worldwide constantly, even at the Olympics. The Iron Curtain was still in place, and the nuclear Armageddon of the Cold War hung over everything.

The arguments between the debaters during and between debates was intense, with every issue turned inside out, since the World appeared to be on a precipice. Everyone showed their true political colors from fascist to anarchist, and all had the right ideas to straighten things out. There was yelling, insults were traded, and swear words were said. Then we all took off our neckties and went out for pizza together, and the World continued.