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(The following are chapter summaries from the just-released
book, "The Destination of American History," by Tony Molinaro.)
FOURTH DESTINATION: Individual Equality
“All
people of all races, creeds and cultures are politically and socially equal.”
Part 14 - The ‘Charismatic’
Awakening - (1960 to 1982)
The Fourth Great Awakening encouraged believers to place an emphasis on the biblical “Gifts
of the Spirit,” and on a revitalization of the power of the Holy Spirit. At the same time that this Charismatic Awakening
was occurring in Protestant denominations, the Roman Catholic Church “threw open its windows” to strengthen lay
spirituality and infuse a deeper belief in ecumenism. New ideas about civil rights for blacks also gained more empathy from
society as protests in Birmingham and marches in Washington DC earned nationwide media coverage. After these initial sparks,
new ideologies exploded in American society in the 1960s and 1970s.
Part 15 - Self-Interest and the Information
Superhighway - (1983 to 2006 ?)
As America entered the 1980s, the influence of individualism once again was replacing
the power of central authority. The initial signs of rising self-interest surfaced around 1984. The components that helped
to fragment society included the force of the Information Superhighway that expanded mobile communications, instant information
and Internet-based commerce; a growing anti-Arab attitude; and a self-appointed positioning of the U.S. as a world policeman.
With the dawn of the 21st century, America was a fractious, self-focused nation trying to embrace all of its diversity and
its multi-cultural postures.
Part 16 - The Next Historic Crisis - (2006 to 2026 ?)
The next historic crisis
will push U.S. society toward a destination that will offer new insight about individual equality. Was the Sept. 11 terrorist
attack the initial spark that pulls U.S. society out of its niches and into interlocking teams? Will this be the beginning
of a communal cause that will help to re-build a new civic order? It is too early to be sure. But we can be sure that the
next phase in the country’s life will be a fearsome and momentous one.
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