As a young boy growing up in the early 1990s, I had the privilege of seeing the last Pittsburgh Pirates team to play a winning season of baseball. It was a great year to be a kid: Doug and Rugrats had made their debuts in the past year, Butterfinger BBs (arguably the greatest candy of all time) became available for public consumption, and the Bills had just lost their fourth straight Super Bowl. Barry Bonds still had a normal hat size. 1992 was indeed a year to be remembered, but for Pirates fan it has long been a curse. Since the conclusion of the 1992 baseball season the Pirates have not ended with a record above .500. It is the longest losing streak in major professional sports. This year, the streak ends. So let’s talk a walk down memory lane and see the many ways that our legal and political landscape has changed since the Pirates last had a winning season:
In 1992:
Average Price of Gas: $1.14 Now – $3.57
President: George HW Bush Now: Barack Obama
Prayer in Public School?: Go for it Now: Heavens no!
Health Insurance: Probably a good idea Now: Get it or else.
The Internet: Ummm what? Now: Literally everywhere.
What you do in your bedroom: Is the government’s business Now: Is your business
Gay Marriage: Don’t even think about it. Now: Legal in several states
Corporations: A fictional business entity. Now: Also a person.
Our Military: Engaged in a questionable war in the Middle East Now: Same. (Some things never change)
This post (which originally started as a chance for me to reminisce about Nicktoons and celebrate the end of an ignominious sports streak) illustrates how quickly the laws of our country can fluctuate. A person with a snapshot of our nation’s laws in 1992 would be stunned to see the change between then and now. In the relatively short (and yet painfully long) lifespan of the Pirates’ losing streak our nation has undergone many fundamental legal changes. What will we look like in 20 more years? Here’s hoping it doesn’t take another two decades of Pirates baseball to find out.
Sound off in the comments section! What will our legal system look like 20 years from now? What will be the biggest change from present day??
– AL
