Not such a great generation today

Referring to his book, "The Greatest Generation," Tom Brokaw writes:

"In the spring of 1984, I went to the northwest of France, to Normandy, to prepare an NBC documentary on the fortieth anniversary of D-Day, the massive and daring Allied invasion of Europe that marked the beginning of the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. There, I underwent a life-changing experience. As I walked the beaches with the American veterans who had returned for this anniversary, men in their sixties and seventies, and listened to their stories, I was deeply moved and profoundly grateful for all they had done. Ten years later, I returned to Normandy for the fiftieth anniversary of the invasion, and by then I had come to understand what this generation of Americans meant to history. It is, I believe, the greatest generation any society has ever produced."

Indeed, the economic, societal, and personal sacrifices that this generation endured for so many years for the sake of freedom is nothing short of miraculous. Contrast this generation's truly remarkable selflessness with the incessant selfishness coming from today's generation.

Teachers equate respect with the size of their pay raise, and threaten to strike every three years if taxpayers don't cough up 5 percent to 7 percent increases. School boards are responsible for taxing fixed-income seniors out of their homes. Structurally sound high schools need to be rebuilt for $150 million rather than renovated for $30 million. DuPage County Board members courageously volunteer to "share the pain" of budget cuts by only accepting 3 percent pay raises.

One thing is certain. The Greatest Generation's claim to being the greatest generation is not in jeopardy of being passed on to a future generation anytime soon.

Mike Davitt

Naperville