
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 18, 1990                   TAG: 9007180399
SECTION: A-6 EDITORIAL                    PAGE:    EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

PAYING FOR RIDE ON REAGAN-YUPPIE TRAIN

YOUR JUNE 28 front-page story ("Studies: Youth just don't care") cites evidence that today's 18-29 age group "knows less, cares less, votes less and is less critical of its leaders and its institutions than young people in the past."

I agree, and let me tell you why. From the viewpoint of an old man of 41, this is true.

No wonder the apathy is apparent. We elect an actor as president, give him a key to the Treasury and a large line of credit at our savings-and-loan institutions. To top it off, the American press gives him a free ride for eight years with no real critical commentary, except in the final 1,000 days.

Dr. Mesmer, for whom the word "mesmerized" was coined, would surely have enjoyed the spectacle. As long as Reagan acted macho occasionally, we forgave him everything.

In our shortsightedness and desire for instant gratification, we rode the Reagan-yuppie train and left today's 18-29-year-olds alone to listen to music on the radio, just as your article from The New York Times stated.

Our "free" press was stymied, hesitant to take a cold, hard look at the facts. Our youngsters are simply following suit. We didn't play our trump card, an incisive free press.

The responsibility is ours to teach our children well, and during the Reagan years we failed miserably. As Shakespeare wrote: "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves." DAVID B. DeFOE ROANOKE

by CNB