re: Why does 1975-1995 seem like a large span of time?

I agree. We still had Vietnam, Watergate, etc. I still remember watching the news about Vietnam, evacuation of Saigon, etc. But it still was very different than today. People were nicer and not at a heightened state of anger like today. Go back another generation. Pearl Harbor, Normandy, Korea then Vietnam. And that generation will tell you times were simpler even though they might have been hard.