‘Generation Must Show Itself’
Regarding Webber’s article I, too, wonder why the youth of our nation did not take to the streets to protest the illegal Iran-Contra arms sales, for example. Or the homeless. Or the deficit. I copied editorials for my Palomar College English class to read on the subject of the homeless, and I got blank stares. “Why don’t they get a job at MacDonald’s?” was the most they could muster? Indignant? No. Afraid? Yes.
The new generation is scared that it won’t be able to live in the style to which it is accustomed--or better. The hip generation rejected materialism, demonstrated for peace, recycled newspapers and bottles only to be decried by the rest of our great society because they weren’t presentable.
Certainly, not many hippies enrolled in MBA programs so they could get a piece of the action on Wall Street.
Glitz is in, ecology and protests out, for we all want to keep the depressing aura of poverty and starvation at bay as long as possible. So that’s where the protesters are, cowering in their gorgeous offices as they make bad loans to whomever will take them so they can keep their $500,000 jobs and Mercedes Benz cars. As for the hippies, they’re either recovering from Vietnam, homeless or too old and tired and disgusted to protest.
VIRGINIA BANNMEYER
Santa Barbara
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