Sam Smith: An Apology To Younger Americans

[Terwilliger]

Sam Smith

http://www.prorev.com/indexa.htm - November 17, 2003


In observance of the approaching 66th anniversary of my arrival on this planet I would like to apologize to you on behalf of my generation. Even members of Confederacy had the grace to secede from the union; my generation has remained within like a deadly virus, subverting it, shaming it, screwing it, stealing from it, and finally strangling it. It will likely be known as the worst generation - the one that brought the First American Republic down - unmatched in the damage it has done to the Constitution, the environment, and a two century struggle to create a society democratic and decent in its politics, economics, and social concourse.

To be sure, when we were young we were, as we said then, somethin' else. We launched the civil rights, women's, gay, and environmental movements, not to mention creating some memorable music before descending into disco. Soon other things started to go downhill rapidly. We became not only the generation that invented the phrase, 'never trust anyone over thirty,' we proved it.

<snip>

For purposes of public remorse, incidentally, I define my generation as consisting of anyone who reached 40 after Watergate and who was at least 40 on September 11, 2001. I choose these dates because the resignation of Nixon was about the last good thing to happen to America and September 11 ended most hope that anything good would happen soon again.

And so, on behalf of all my fellow members of America's crummiest generation, I make this humble confession, begging forgiveness from those who follow:

<snip>

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

OnEdit: nixed repeated segment

[jonoboy]

1. ??

[joeybee12]

2. Screw him if he has to mention Bush and Clinton together

I mean, what was the point in that?

[Terwilliger]

3. Not everybody feels like you do

right-wing claptrap or not, people don't think that Clinton was a great president

[DarkPhenyx]

4. Some people don't like Clinton.

I personally don't think he was "the Greatest President" ever. Oh, he was far from the worst, and is head and shoulders over Bush, but not everyone agrees. So he mentioned Bush and Clinton in the same breath...big deal.

[jobycom]

5. Yeah, he can blow me with that crap

The Republicans are doing all they can to turn both sides against Clinton, and idiots like that fall for their spin. They spin the conservatives that Clinton was too liberal, then spin the liberals that Clinton sold out. It's all an effort to make the most successful president we've had distasteful to everyone-- one side because of what he wanted to do, the other because of what he had to do. I've watched the Bush clan do that here in Texas to politicians for decades, now they are exporting it. BTW, those of you who hate Bush, they did the same thing to Ann Richards, which is why we have Bush in the first place.

[Terwilliger]

6. cult of personality

it's sad, man

he was good and bad...so was Nixon

[bemildred]

7. Who is this loon?

This really gives you a feel for the dangers of
excessive use of drugs.

[Terwilliger]

8. I don't know that he partakes

any specific problem?

[Demonaut]

9. Great Men have Great Problems

They always follow extremes, exceptions exist of course...George Bush is one.

[bemildred]

10. The reification of a group of people born over a span

of 26 years or so and the pretense that they have identifiable
characteristics and responsibilities for historical processes
and events, some of which are also imaginary. This is bull
twaddle. All of this generational thinking is bull-twaddle,
you would do better to read tea leaves, then you'd have some tea.
To the extent this is not propaganda or public relations drivel
of some sort, it is just dumb.