True, I also -miss those ancient days when as a kid I could roam safely, even hitchhike;  families seemed to be stable; folks believed in their excellent public schools;  and we all felt like a part of a warm safe community.  Best of all, in a strange way, was WWII, where we ALL pulled together for the sake of America.

At the same time, our town was probably a "sundown" town, as no blacks or other minorities seemed to live there; girls weren't encouraged to finish college or take most jobs; gays and lesbians, if we thought of them at all, were just "queers";  the environment was too often  a place to dump trash;  forests were overcut and not adequately replanted, etc.

So is life better or worse today?  That is a long and complex question.