I think most of the older (read - over 25) diarists are sharing a reaction of horror and anger, and sorrow. It's suprising to me to see a great many younger people who seem to have a flippant, ambivilant view. "Why be shocked? We had it coming to us" seems to be a theme.

I had to bite back some pithy remarks and try to remember my own college days. When I still lived with my folks, the classic unmarried and going to school stuff.

I had a poster of my own making on a wall in my room which, I guess, was an effort to describe myself to myself. Other than a clip of a surfer girl with drop dead good looks, it was mostly a call to revolution with quotes by some of the leading Ho Chi Minh devotees of the day. I didn't care too much for America at the time. I saw it as oppressive, a system of hopelessly beaurocratic white men with an agenda. Who always seemed to control most of the wealth, etc.

Maybe this is something that youth has to work through, in this country. You have the freedom to protest, to bitch, to parade against. After about 4 years in the workplace I had little desire to buck the system anymore. A sell out?

Nope. I still have issues with authority, but it's on a personal level. The leadership of this country might be elected by faulty and contrived means, but if they're smart, they'll surround themselves with capable people who actually do the day to day stuff that makes the difference. I think Reagan had this figured out pretty well. And I think Colin Powell is one of the best support players around right now.

But I'm off the subject. Youth will probably forever rant about the wrongs in life. More vocally, and in a more insensitive way that they should. Let them work to support themselves and a spouse for a while. Let 'em have to deal with what's out there, the little speedbumps that we've all been over. Sorry, but that's the only way to learn. Life might not be fair. It might also be your own awakening.

And I'm seeing some diarists having their own awakening this week.

I'm so very sorry it had to be this way, and this sudden.

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