To him, they were worse than the 60 s in transforming America into a less responsible, more hedonistic, less law-abiding and more illiterate society. But he understands why young people may be fascinated with that era. The drinking age has been raised. It s harder to buy cigarettes. Drugs are treated savagely, and you re told sex will kill you.
Abstinence is in.
Schools have metal detectors. So they look back on that time as the golden age of teenage liberty. For Betsy Gotbaum, president of the historical society, one reason for the fiscal-crisis show is the ticking clock. Those who helped rescue the city then are not exactly kids, including her husband, Victor Gotbaum, the labor leader. That sounds reasonable.