Monster: Steppenwolf protest song of '60s could be today's anthem — and that's sad

  Back in the crazy, rebellious and arrogant optimistic Sixties, my favorite band was "Steppenwolf."

  They made it big with "Magic Carpet Ride" and then "The Pusher."

  But, to me, it was their 1969 prophetic classic "Monster" that touched me, then a teenager peering fearfully ahead as the Vietnam War escalated.

  When my draft number came up a couple years later, it was low enough that I was one week from induction as an Army medic trainee before Nixon's suspension of the draft saved me.

  Now, I'm a graying 60-year-old man. And I look around and, other than our wonderful technological advances, little has changed.

  Raspy, now old John Kay could still belt out "Monster" today and it would fit, perfectly.

  And that, to me, is incredibly, deeply sad.

  Consider a portion of the lyrics to that song:

"Our cities have turned into jungles

And corruption is stranglin' the land
The police force is watching the people
And the people just can't understand
We don't know how to mind our own business
'Cause the whole worlds got to be just like us
Now we are fighting a war over there
No matter who's the winner
We can't pay the cost
'Cause there's a monster on the loose
It's got our heads into a noose
And it just sits there watching.

America where are you now?
Don't you care about your sons and daughters?
Don't you know we need you now
We can't fight alone against the monster...."