Oh, those wonderful '50s

By Tony Staley
Compass Editor

If there was ever a perfect time, it was the 1950s. There were still problems, of course, such as Jim Crow laws that denied civil rights to blacks, and the Cold War, which made the threat of nuclear war - complete with duck and cover drills and backyard bomb shelters - a daily reality.

But take away the minuses and it was a wonderful time, especially for families. The nuclear family reigned, headed by Dad with a strong assist from Mom. And the children, when they strayed, quickly got back in line with Dad's guidance.

Situation comedies on network TV mirrored and reinforced the model. One of the best was Leave It to Beaver, where Ward and June Cleaver, and their two sons, Wally and Theodore (The Beaver), provided laughs and inspiration, personifying the American family we all knew.

But wait, in Episode 79, "The School Bus" (which aired July 28 on the TV Land network), Beaver misbehaves and is banned from riding the school bus. His parents are notified in a letter from the school that begins, "Dear Parent or Guardian." That "Dear Parent or Guardian" line shows that one-parent families and children living with a non-parental adult were not unusual.

This is not to deny that two-parent families were the norm, but only to remind us that reality is much more complicated than memories and that what we need most is honesty.