Member-only story

Ring Out the NEW, Ring in the OLD

No, let’s not go back!

Katharine Valentino
Crow’s Feet: Life As We Age

--

Bells ringing
Image create by the author using Gemini

In order to ring out the old and ring in the new — to Make America Great Again — we gotta know when America was great before. When asked about this, Donald Trump said that the best times in this country began in the late 1940s and continued throughout the 50s.

I’m an old woman now and I remember a few things about the 40s and 50s.

I was born premature, a full two months before I should have opened my eyes and said hello to 1943. Neonatal intensive care would not become available in Florida for 16 years. Hospital staff deposited me none too carefully in an incubator and told my mother I’d probably die. She immediately rescued me from that thing she referred to ever after as an “infernal contraption” and took me home. It was touch and go for a month, but here I am, alive at age 81.

In 1943, out of every 1,000 babies born, 40 died at birth or soon after. At the time, this was considered a remarkably good mortality rate, but I shudder when I compare it with the figure for 2024. Today, only 11 newborns die out of every 1,000 babies.

Hello, 2025.

The Republican manifesto, Project 2025, includes a measure to lower funding for Medicaid, the primary medical coverage for 88 million low-income folks in this country. Republicans want…

--

--

Responses (6)