— As a former newspaper reporter and editor, and now as a published author, Forrest Peterson has opened and read many books. He also has experienced quite a few major news events. At the Willmar Community Center on Dec. 28, Peterson melded those events and books into one talk, titled "Words on Paper."

Focusing on the 1950s and 1960s, Peterson spoke about major events from his childhood years and the influential books of those eras, along with the impact they might still have today.

"You could make an argument that books like that, from way back then, could have helped create better awareness 10, 20, 30 years later," Peterson said.

For the 1950s, he listed historic events such as the post-World War II economic boom, the GI Bill, the Korean War, Cold War and civil rights issues such as school segregation. Another big issue was the beginning of the atomic age and fear of the bomb.

"I remember in elementary school, in the 1950s, with all the atomic bomb fears, the drills," with kids hiding under the desks, Peterson said.

The 1960s were full of monumental events including the Vietnam War; the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.; the civil rights movement; the moon landing; and the start of the environmental movement.

"I was home from school, the day of the Kennedy assassination, watching on TV," Peterson remembered.

عندما تنظر إلى العقود الوسطى من القرن العشرين ، من السهل أن ترى مقدار الاضطرابات والتغييرات المجتمعية التي حدثت خلال تلك السنوات.

وقال بيترسون "اليوم نعتقد أن هناك الكثير من الاضطرابات والأمور السيئة تحدث". "عندما تنظر إلى الوراء في بعض هذه السنوات ، أعتقد أنه قد يكون لديهم أشياء أكثر قوة."

يعتقد بيترسون أن أحد الأسباب التي تجعلنا نشعر بأن الأحداث الجارية أسوأ مما حدث من قبل هو تكنولوجيا الاتصالات والأخبار الموجودة لدينا الآن. كان لانتشار التلفزيون تأثير ملحوظ على تصور الجمهور لأحداث مثل هذه