The Invisible Counterpoint

Salon readers have never been the shy and retiring type, but Monday's Life story -- " How I Became a Con Artist " -- certainly brought out the knives. "You don't deserve to live in a civilized society," read one of the 200+ outraged comments , peppered with such descriptors as douchebag, degenerate and morally bankrupt. At least one furious reader actually e-mailed writer Jason Jellick's employer to complain. Readers directed their scorn at us as well. "Is this the best Salon can do, especially at the start of the Christmas holiday season?" Ouch. We weren't just ethically bankrupt. We were ruining Christmas . To clarify, Salon doesn't advocate stealing -- but for that matter, neither does Jellick. His account of a youth spent indulging in petty crimes against chain stores and other corporations ends with a hard stare at his own shady behavior, with a realization at just how much damage his behavior has wrought. Jellick's story i...

Concerning my despicable boomer "hatred" Contrary to reports, HTWW does not want to sentence an entire generation to mandatory euthanasia Judging by the comments thread on yesterday's post, "Curse of the Boomer Hegemony," and some extremely upset and vituperative letters written to me personally, I really hit a nerve with my comments on the generation that supposedly won't let go. I will cop to an inflammatory headline, but for the record, I am not calling for mandatory euthanasia for baby boomers, nor do I bear them any special ill will. (Andrew Leonard, “Concerning my despicable boomer ‘hatred’,” Salon, 11 December 2009) THIS is your power, boomers I really hit a nerve with my comments on the generation that supposedly won't let go. Supposedly? So the truth is otherwise? They really want to pass the baton onto youth, but circumstances have just determined they have in fact handed them the bayonet? Indeed, as a 47-year-old bor...