Listener CRITIQUE for The Rant

MB writes, "I listened to Charles Monroe Kane’s monologue on the Rethinking the Sixties. I expect more from the best of our knowledge. Give us listeners a break, we are not interested in hearing someone rant and rave about his hatred of the hippies. His piece was stupid and childish and self loathing – sorry some hippie broke his cookie when he was ten and he hasn’t got over it. What’s next – are you gonna give air time to ranting racists? (btw – your programming is great.)"

Peggy writes, "I am a 55 year old retired educator. I listen to your program every Sunday morning. I usually enjoy all of your thought provoking shows. But not today...

As I listened to this young man I couldn't help but wonder what he would think of himself if he ever replays this rant when he's my age. I would like to tell him to get over himself. Placing blame and judgement is like placing your head in the sand so you don't have to take a look at yourself. Who are you and what have you done?? What would you like to see for your children's future?? Why not take (what sounded like) anger, spite and frustration and make a difference in a positive way?

Thank you for providing a forum to express myself."

Joanna writes, "Hi there. I enjoyed your whole show about the 1960s. I was caught short by the guy who is 40 and is sick of us. I had to laugh but of course, I have to say we are not all like that! But most of all, I reject the idea that "generations fail." This is not an American idea, the same criticism is leveled at generations in Latin America (just one example). Generations are vastly too varied and complex and the circumstances in which they grow up and live are also too complex to be able to either congratulate or blame a generation as a whole. Getting old can be hard. And I can't blame people looking back at the "good old days," especially if those days were lived intensively. And there are many people for whom the 1960s were very intense. It really isn't different than my 93-year-old Dad recalling WWII. He lived it in Europe and the Middle East. Nothing could be more intense than that. Two more things. First, the changes effected in the 1950s and 1960s - especially for Afro-Americans and women -- were immense. But I am not surprised that younger people who cannot really imagine what it was like before don't appreciate it. In this too, history repeats itself. Second, there are still plenty of us who continue to work on social justice issues, human rights, etc. and don't own BMWs and never "sold out." Many of us don't look back at the 1960s with nostalgia because there is just so much to do and so many problems here and abroad that we need to try to change, knowing that maybe all we can do is change one life at a time."

Bill writes, "A long time listener, member and born in 1949 (no choice in the matter) I just listened to Charles Monroe Kane's rant about "boomers". I am sure he needs his diaper changed. I also am sorry I help support his salary. I greatly appreciate and often listen to your program but was saddened today that you let the village idiot on stage."

Stephanie writes, "I'd like to comment on Charles Monroe Kain's (or is it Cane's? or another spelling?) spewing of how he is "sick and tired" of the baby boomers' nostalgia regarding the sixties. I am a baby boomer and I believe Mr. Kain would benefit from really getting to know a diverse group of people from the sixties, not just a small sampling of guys who are willing to pick up a hitch-hiker. Mr. Kain talks about how the baby boomers lost the war, lost the civil rights movement, provides drugs (at least he thanks us for them), and women's lib. First of all, it wasn't our war. We didn't create it. Our friends, brothers, neighbors and classmates were drafted into it. Let me repeat that word - drafted. Something you personally may not know about and may never know about (possibly as a result of the boomers and the sixties). These soldiers were not old enough to vote, but they were old enough to fight in a war. The voting age has changed since then (You are welcome). Secondly, civil rights was not only about desegregating schools. Open your eyes and look around. READ history books. WATCH those shows on PBS (that you seem to loath) through their entirety and truly listen with your ears and your heart. Blacks were not allowed to sit next to whites in restaurants, drink from the same water fountains, use the same bathrooms and certainly never was it thought possible to run for President of the United States! You may not realize any of this because you have not had to witness the prejudices that were before your time. Because of the sixties and some boomers, as well as people who came before the boomers, you, hopefully, will never witness them. Thirdly, we didn't invent drugs. Drugs have been around for years prior to the sixties. Lastly, women's liberation was and is not just about equal pay for equal work. It is about freedom of choice for both men and women. It is the reason you feel comfortable as a dad pushing your stroller to the coffee shop to meet your friends and think nothing of it. In the sixties, it was extremely rare to see a man pushing a stroller any where, and certainly not to meet his buddies so they can talk about parenting concepts. You (and your children) have the women's lib movement to thank for that. (Again, you are welcome.) I am not saying that the sixties made everything better, but that era did more good than you realize because you seem to take so much granted. Take for example your major in college - Peace Studies. You wouldn't have found such a major in the sixties, but you do now. Another result of the era and the boomers. The boomers didn't give up, as you say. I certainly haven't. That is why I am writing to you. There will always be generational friction - that's normal. But to put all baby boomers down and tell us that we lost everything, well...that's just simply not true. If you are angry with the way things are today, don't blame that on all boomers or even on the sixties. The sixties didn't happen in a vacuum. Today's problems are the result of greed and the ego-centeredness of people of all ages, not just boomers. There is much that boomers can learn from Gen X and other generations, but there is much we have to offer as well. I'd love to read a piece that you might write on what Gen X has done for the good of humanity and what Gen X has to offer the next generation."

Patricia writes, "I listened to your comments about the Boomer generation. And I had to respond, although I don't expect to have much of an impact on your thinking. As a member of the group about which you were ranting, much of the protesting and the social change activities happened before most of us were 25. We were out there, taking a stand against the war, trying to bring some idealistic changes to an imperfect system. Some changes took root, such as civil rights & women's rights. The war was finally ended. We weren't interested in staying in Viet Nam endlessly. It was a bad decision on the part of our leaders, the same as the Iraq war. But we at least had the courage to face our leaders & try to influence them to end it. Even at the risk of injury or arrest, we marched. We made noise. We tried to make things better. You say you're nearly 40. You produce the show on which I heard your comments. What else has your generation done, besides complain about the prior generation? Are you trying to make this world a better place? Are you working for social justice? Do you speak up for the oppressed? The victims of this administration's war? It doesn't appear that you have anything on your mind, except whining about the mess in which we find this country today, and blaming the older generation. In case you hadn't noticed, no generation is encapsulated, isolated from the next. We live with the same problems you complain about. Most of the issues you mention were not the result of the rank & file citizenry. The boondoggles were choices and decisions made by the machinery of big brother. You'll find out, the same as we did, that changing the direction of bureaucracy is akin to trying to change the direction of a herd of elephants on the run. But your rant displayed an attitude of shameless selfishness and arrogance. You'll learn, hopefully, someday, that no man is an island, & neither is one generation. Until then, keep working on the future for all of us. Maybe with your help, instead of your whining, we CAN achieve the ideals for our beloved country and for future generations."

Rich writes, "I heard “to the best of our knowledge” yesterday. Someone named Charles Monroe Kane was ranting about baby boomers. Nasty, vituperative, really full of hatred. Kane made Rush Limbaugh sound like a reasonable guy. He had no point, no insight to impart, just rage. Why have this bile on the radio?"