I find Stuart Reid’s vague homily about tradition and religion (“Generation Z may return to tradition and religion,” Salt Lake Tribune, March 24) irritating on a couple grounds.
First, he broadly and repeatedly assails the entire "baby boomer" generation as self-indulgent jerks who have created "constant chaos and confusion" in society. That assessment strikes me as classic prejudice, a form of intellectual laziness, inasmuch as Reid purports to condemn millions of people based upon the fact that they were born in the post-WW II era. If Reid has a case to make about increasing religious involvement in our country, he should do so without gratuitously insulting anybody based upon their membership in a "generational" group.
Next, rather than doing anything whatsoever to make that case, Reid punts the purported problem to "Generation Z," people who are now in their teens to mid-20s, to restore our country to "greatness." In other words, his "penitence" seems to take the form of passing the buck.
In case Reid has not been paying attention, our country is now facing serious challenges, such as climate instability, grossly irresponsible tax and spending policy, and our highest executive office being occupied by a stunningly unprincipled, vulgar and cruel individual (who in no sense comes from a "traditional" or "religious" background).
From these challenges, we cannot, and must not, await dubious "rescue" by Generation Z. Instead, all Americans, regardless of religious or family affiliations and status, must take an active part in meeting those and other challenges.
J. Kevin Murphy, Salt Lake City
