A Time to Remember “Leave it to Beaver” and the America We Left Behind

By Selwyn Duke

This past Saturday, Barbara Billingsley passed away at the age of 94. For those of you scratching your heads but acquainted with 1950s television, Billingsley played the ever-gracious and loving, hearth-and-home mother June Cleaver in the classic sitcom "Leave It to Beaver."

The show, a hit that ran from 1957 to 1963, is a true slice of Americana. It entertained audiences with the innocent mischief-making and misadventures of its main character, Theodore Cleaver (played by Jerry Mathers), an endearing boy who went by the nickname “Beaver.” With his mother, June; his brother, Wally (Tony Dow); and his father, Ward (Hugh Beaumont), they were the ideal American family.

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Comments

[jbailey]

Been there, done that. How great it was. Our high school class of 1953 were fortunate enough to be filtered through a school where rich and poor came together....were exposed to a paddling if you did wrong, and most likely recieved another one at home if word got back to them. We were exposed to God, the Bible, devotions, the Pledge to the Flag, outstanding speakers who preached "do good if you want a good reward", or better put "be somebody". For most of us, there was no "sports car" in the driveway for our chosing...and if you dated you made your own "date money", and if you used a car, it had to be in by a certain hour. Discipline was enforced in the classrooms...but, we were not saints, and participated in "mischief" and tricks, and, if caught, we remembered it by the sting of a paddle and verbal counseling...not by threats of law suits from parents or students, but by the common sense law that if you did wrong you were punished for it. If I ever got a spanking I didn't deserve, chalk it up to one that I missed, and deserved it anyway. Most of us learned that if you expect to succeed, you personally worked for it. Many of us had weekend jobs or part time work after school. One fellow kept a paper route all the way through high school and getting his PhD in chemistry from a university. Another used his first earnings to buy his mother an electric iron to replace the old one she heated before an open fire in the fireplace to press his pants. Our class of 1953 produced: judges..one a female, attorneys, authors, missionaries, preachers, professors..history, biology, economics.. nurses, three physicians, artist, research chemist, textile chemist, farmers, textile workers, health workers, mechanics, antique dealers,coaches, small business owners and operators, to name only a few. Not one thief, or criminal, or anyone I can recall who went to jail. We had one whose act of compassion in later life was made into a movie. Our class raised over 250,000 dollars to help poor boys and girls as many of us were. Never have I been more proud to be a part of this wonderful class, being raised in the 50s, than I am today. Thank God for our parents...most of whom were poor in material things but rich in love, discipline, and teaching what is right and wrong. Thanks to our teachers, professors, coaches, and not to forget...our fellow classmates, all of whom wanted each of us to succeed and do good in life and living. I think and know we measured up. God Bless our country, and let us not forget November.

[Philip France]

To borrow a tactic from the great Dr. Michael Savage, PhD; we have gone from Ward Cleaver to Ward Churchill in two generations.

Selwyn has written a fitting tribute to a truly beautiful woman, Barbara Billingsley. He has also admonished us that virtue is a goal that is to be cherished and pursued above all others; that achieving virtue is more personally gratifying than "having fun" and, most poignantly, that a life of virtue and goodness is ultimately more rewarding that that of "Haskell the Rascal".

Take a bow, Mr. Duke. Your pen is smoking and I am applauding.

[Whitey Lawful]

This is intellectualism - lacking character. Such fantasy is neoconservative, and obviously written by a Papist, or one that is otherwise not of the culture and character of autonomy, an autonomy - that was toppled by the 'spirit of the 60's'.

[Sticks n Stones]

You say "Papist" like it's a dirty word! Ha!

Not all change is good, either. LITB may seem like a fantasy to some, but saying the "spirit of the 60's" toppled it, proves it was no fantasy.

Pity all you have to offer is one childish ad hominem after another.

[John]

Whitey, what the heck are you babbling about? No one can even get your meaning. Lay off the sauce man!