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Commentary: Numerous predictions  from 1970 on target

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By Dale Huffman, Staff Writer 11:58 PM Wednesday, March 10, 2010

It must have been on a whim, that when the new year was arriving in the year 1970 that I was in touch with a number of high school students in the Miami Valley and asked them for some predictions.

I eventually selected the names of 100 students, pulled at random from an otherwise empty Girl Scout cookie box. The names represented schools throughout the Miami Valley, and we made sure those polled were reflective of all walks of life and reflected life in all the neighborhoods.

A teacher at each of the schools involved helped pick the student names at random. Those selected were invited to respond to questions we had prepared in advance.

It may be of interest for you to see the responses — all these years later.

Sandy Bonamassa of Yellow Springs cut the original story out of the newspaper and saved it. The clipping is yellow with age and wrinkled, but is easy to read. Sandy put it in an envelope and mailed it to me.

Her observation? “I found this information very interesting. In fact, it is amazing to me how many of the observations from four decades ago hit right on the mark.”

Here are a few of the predictions from those who are now in middle age, but were teenagers in 1969:

• U.S. troop involvement in Vietnam will come to an end.

• United States will get involved in another Vietnam-like situation. However it will not be a nuclear war.

• China will make great gains as a world force.

• An 18-year-old will one day be elected to Congress and we will have a 30-year-old president within our lifetime.

• The racial divide in the United States will diminish.

• A depression will rock the nation and will have an effect on the national morale.

• Taxes will continue to climb, as will individual incomes.

• The average home will have three television sets and two automobiles.

• Homosexuality among consenting adults will be legalized.

• Electronic automobiles will be fashionable as passenger trains disappear and monorails become more widely used.

• Some homes will be heated by the use of the sun’s rays.

• Hairstyles on men will be shorter, and for women the pant suits will still be in vogue.

• Parents will look at their teenage kids on the last day of each year and will say ... “What’s the world coming to?”

It’s interesting that one of the biggest changes over the years, the invention and use of the computer and the sophisticated electronic and communication revolution was not mentioned.

But, if you ask me, the baby boomers and those kids who grew up in America over the last 50 years are members of one rockin’ generation. As I look back, I remember so much more “good” than “bad.”

Dale Huffman wants your suggestions and story ideas. He’d like to share a story about you, your family, or a friend. This column is for you. Send e-mail to dhuffman@DaytonDailyNews. com or write to Dale at 1611 S. Main St. Dayton, OH 45409. Fax: (937) 225-2489. Phone: (937) 225-2272.

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