I have a running joke in my practice
Wherein I state unequivocally to a somewhat condescending young individual (which happens all too frequently) that all of us older folk owe a debt of gratitude to this young generation for inventing alcohol, illicit drugs, popular music, and sex.
I read the same concerning the “advent” of populist racism and hate. Here is a tiny portion from Wikipedia concerning Governor George Wallace of Alabama:
Since this was decades before the Internet, I don’t think many younger people realize how incredibly popular this segregationist, avowed racist, and incredibly charismatic politician was in America. If you do nothing else today, in terms of political reading, just go to wiki and read his Entry. Most people either have no recollection or never knew that when he was not allowed to be elected for another term, his wife ran and was elected and was the titular head of the government where, as the First Gentleman, long before Doug Emhoff, he ran the state. Later, he won many presidential primaries and ran in 68 and 72 with frighteningly substantial success.
As an aside, I was sitting in my dorm room in college and a guy walked past and said “Hey, did you hear George Wallace was shot?“ My response was, “Ooh…is he dead yet ?“ Wallace was vilified by every thinking person in the country, but make no mistake, he had incredible popularity at all levels, and in the strangest places.
And as another aside, many years later, I met a man who’d been sent to do business with him for the Office of Educational Opportunity, who said that behind the scenes, Wallace was incredibly receptive as effective proponent for everyone in the state, including the black population. The guy told me that the hypocrisy was overwhelming, and that it was the greatest professional shock of his life.
Anyway, my point is that this has been percolating for decades and exploded with the election of President Obama. We are a nation in turmoil.
= new reply since forum marked as read
When Illinois Gov. Adlai Stevenson was running for president in the 1950s, a supporter purportedly said to him: "Every thinking person in America will be voting for you." Stevenson replied, "I'm afraid that won't do — I need a majority."
I remember our neighbors were Wallace supporters, but otherwise seemed to be good people--but then, we were white, too, in a rural (white) area with virtually no people of color ....(none in the school system at all)
And hey, I thought we Boomers invented alcohol, illicit drugs, popular music, and sex!
Yes, I lived through the Wallace years as a resident of AL. His popularity was scary. And there are STILL colleges named after Lurleen B. Wallace in AL. 
America has always been a nation in turmoil....it's just more reported now. 
and sex. but they actually have been around for some time.
As for Wallace, I remember that time, but Wallace later repented his racism.
Modern racists will probably take their hate with them to the grave.
And just what if Saint Peter is not as they imagine, but
