Read the following paragraph from a news article and guess the year.

I offer that the first and major clue is the last line, “…got into the papers.”

This puts us back before the internet. So pre-90s.

I’m not from New York. I have only visited once. There may be names that a New Yorker would know are old and therefore help date the event. But I don’t know them.

The idea that people are fighting about the elevation of a flag is immemorial, so that doesn’t help. But add “American” to the kind of flag and obviously we’re post-1776.

A quick review of steel’s development indicates post-1856 and Bessemer Process.

“Medical students” as a phrase immediately calls to mind post-WW2, so post-1945.

This means, if you guessed anywhere between 1945-1990, I’d say you “won” my game. Congratulations!

Of course, the true winners of the true game are those who can withstand the “hype” to which the news cycle demands undying attention.

The real date is 1970. That means for 65 years we have recorded evidence that some Americans want to lower the flag and others want to raise it back up. Or, 65 years of “Same $&@%, different day.” Or, 65 years of “Nothing to see here; move along.”