Boomers Apologizing to this Year's Grads?

No joke! Many speakers at this years College Commencement ceremonies are telling the graduates that they screwed up and are leaving them with a real mess that they are going to have to clean up. It is noted that these speakers are filled with "self-recrimination and gloom" over the state of the economy, etc. Apparently the grads aren't as gullible and accepting as they might be--they are wondering why the Boomers aren't doing a little more and moving a little faster than to clean it up themselves.

My personal take might surprise you.

In my opinion it is the "Greatest Generation" who should be apologizing to both the Boomers and their kids which in effect are their own offspring and grandkids plus, in many instances, their great grandkids. Of course WWII generation are hard working, innovative and made untold sacrifices and the country has prospered. And they well deserve to be called Great.

Here comes the "but." They grew up during the Depression, went to war and sacrificed much. Things were tough all over, as we used to say. To the point, when all those young folks married and started families the mind-set was "my children are not going to have to do without as we did and will never have to want for anything." Consequently, Boomers are looking for instant gratification and for lack of a better term were "spoiled rotten."

Now, don't go throwing stones--of course, there are many fine young Boomers who have always had their noses to the grindstone, worked their way through college and are responsible and accountable citizens. I'm talking about the group who think they are "entitled" to a life of ease and plenty. And there are many, many of them.

We therefore have a country where many are suffering for the sins of the relative few who have little in the way of a value system which is based on honesty and integrity. We can only hope that this is a lesson being learned so that history will not repeat.

(Just the other day one of the "old guys" who go to the local Y and indulge in talking politics in the steam and locker rooms had a bit of a surprise. They were talking about current happenings when a younger fellow spoke up and said they should give the new President a chance. Having seen their retirement nest eggs shrink they weren't having any of it and asked him what he thought about having to pay pretty hefty taxes, fees and license costs at his age. His response was that he didn't have a job. After a rather long pause one of "old guys" asked how he could afford the Y membership and his answer was that the Y has special programs for poor people, which of course, are funded in part by the "old guys" dues. Need I say more?)

So no generation really owes the next an apology. Any mistakes made were unintentional and the legacy of the Greatest Generation is still intact even though we see that sometimes we erred. Now that the Boomers are recognizing that there were mistakes made by them it should be possible to rectify some of them and maybe, just maybe, the next generation will learn from both of us.

Just some food for thought--

God bless............