I read the recent
letter to the editor “Young lose their sense of morality” and was reminded of
similar claims in the 1960s. At that
time the “moral majority” was convinced that the drug, music and sexual culture
of the young would bring the country to its knees. One could certainly argue that we baby
boomers have brought irreparable harm to the American polity, but for quite
different reasons. Most of us cashed in
our radical chips and took our turn at running things. The result has not been all that spectacular.
I believe that the
cultural tension between our youth and adults has always been a positive force
in our nation’s history. In the 60s this tension lead to the end of an unjust
war, an expansion of civil rights and the increased role of women in society. Today, young people are leading the charge in
social media, sexual equality and globalization.
On a personal level, my parents were as
horrified of Woodstock as I am of tattoos and body piercing. Our youth will
outgrow their hedonistic and selfish tendencies, hopefully with more grace than
we did. If we old folks can tear
ourselves away from the Viagra and Botox commercials, maybe we can provide a
great example of unselfishness to the younger generation. How?
By supporting the higher taxes and lower entitlements necessary to level
the playing field as they begin to clash with their own children. Generational inequality is a much larger
problem facing our society than the moral indiscretions of our youth will ever
be.
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