After watching 50 years of Peter, Paul and Mary (my musical heroes of the ’60s-plus), I felt the power and, as Paul Stookey said, the “love, for all people.” They were world travelers who tried to bring peace, harmony and hope to all nations, especially the downtrodden.

The group appealed to all ages. I am sure that teachers taught some of the appropriate songs to their students — “Puff, the magic dragon,” for one.

They took up controversial issues of the time in peaceful and in dangerous times and received hate mail and threats on their lives.

Do the transgressions of the ’60s and ’70s and ’80s remind anyone of what is happening today?

As civil unrest permeates the nation’s cities, maybe replacing the screaming and yelling of protestors by playing some of the songs of PP&M would be relevant. Loudspeakers could be set up where, together, voices could be heard in song, as music quiets the soul but still gets the messages through.

Is this today another example of history repeating itself? It is unfortunate the two disasters woke up ourselves again.

Will I see significant changes in my lifetime? I hope so.

George Ferguson, Sabattus