Looking back, the month of July seemed to just fly by (they say time does that as we “mature”). Many of us don’t realize what a monumental month July is.
We all enjoy the Fourth of July and celebrating Independence Day or just sleeping in and then relaxing by the grill, but let’s take a moment to look at some of the historical legislation that has been passed in the month of July and has impacted our aging and disabled communities.
July 2, 1964, the Civil Rights Act was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson. This act outlawed segregation in businesses, banned discriminatory practices in employment and ended segregation in public places. President Johnson invited hundreds of guests to a televised signing ceremony in the East Room of the White House, and, after using more than 75 pens to sign the bill, gave away those pens as mementoes of the historic occasion.
July 14, 1965 the Older Americans Act was signed into law by President Johnson. It established the Administration on Aging within the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and called for the creation of State Units on Aging. This law was passed in response to policymakers’ concerns about the lack of community social services for older persons (defined as 60 and older). This act authorizes funds for the states and territories to provide a wide array of service programs — from home delivered meals to transportation assistance. Funds are also provided to 244 tribal organizations and two Native Hawaiian organizations.
July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush. The ADA is considered one of the most comprehensive pieces of civil rights legislation ever written. It prohibits discrimination and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to participate in all the activities that many take for granted. Like the Civil Rights Act the ADA is an “equal opportunity” law for people with disabilities. The ADA was the act of thousands of people across America who spoke up in many different ways to reverse the injustices faced by people with disabilities.
July 30, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson traveled to the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri, to sign into law the Social Security Act Amendments of 1965, (Medicare/Medicaid). Actually, the proposal to assist retirees with pensions and insurance was not a new idea at all. Congress first held hearings on government insurance in 1916 during the Progressive Era. At that time President Franklin Roosevelt felt that it was a better strategy to first pass the “old age pension” provision (we know that as Social Security). (Note: The Social Security Act was signed in 19 years later, in 1935). Medicare has seen many changes since 1965, including the addition of benefits for individuals with disabilities, the Medicare Advantage program (managed care) and prescription drug coverage.
Yes, indeed, July is a landmark month in which to celebrate our freedom and all the benefits of living in America.
If you would like more information on Medicare or to volunteer in your community, please call the Hawai‘i SHIP.
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This SHIP project was supported, in part, by grant number 90SA0004-02-00 from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C., 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living policy.
Our oldest seniors, members of “The Greatest Generation,” remember Great Depression and World War II. By facing fear and surviving hardship and loss, they grew strong and confident. They don’t flaunt their accomplishments, even though we may call them heroic.
As a child in the ’40s, Brokaw recalled, “The grown-ups all seemed to have a sense of purpose … Whatever else was happening in the neighborhood, there was something greater connecting us all, in large ways and small.” In our fast-paced “communication age transpose connectedness is often mistaken for socializing on Facebook. The Greatest Generation shared high ideals — sacrificial commitment to family, community and nation. Personal gain and entertainment were low priorities. Brokaw beautifully describes a generation drawn together by a sense of duty to and responsibility for the common good. Challenges and sacrifices pulled together a nation, and the nation pulled as a team.
Brokaw actually describes values like respect and fortitude the “right stuff”— the characteristics we see in our Hawai‘i seniors. Our state politics may be liberal, but our way of life is conservative. Families are multigenerational and tight-knit. We nurture relationships. Making a living in Hawai‘i is hard, and cost-of-living is high, so everyone must sacrifice a little of the American dream to “live Hawai‘i.” Everyone in the canoe paddles.
Brokaw admits he holds a “missionary zeal” for this generation that birthed more than its share of public heroes — Sen. Daniel Inouye, President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. But Brokaw also writes about people we never heard of: soldiers who came home and never said much about the war, and men and women who worked civilian jobs that were crucial to the war effort.
During the month of August, take your grandchildren to visit a kupuna in their ’90s and listen to their stories, like Brokaw did. Or pick up a copy of The Greatest Generation at your local book store or at 
In midlife, documenting the lives of our ancestors and our own memories suddenly becomes important. Even if our kids aren’t interested — we know someday they will be.
Author Burns said, “I realized that it is time to pass on those lessons from his life to the next generation.” For Burns, an educator and principal of ‘Aina Haina Elementary School, the lessons are about leadership and consensus building, wrapped in detailed and well-