Did you go read the article I linked to here?

I've been thinking about it some more, and, snark aside, I think it raises an interesting point.

Those of you who have been long-time readers of this peripatetically updated little endeavor (or those of you [un]fortunate enough to interact with me in the flesh world) know that my parents and I hold diametrically opposing political views (which sometimes makes familial conversation a bit, well, animated).

Thinking about this article, I wonder if folks my age and younger are more comfortable somehow with the notion that terrorism exists and that a sudden, unfair and unlinked to our personal beliefs, death can occur to anyone - that it's just an unfortunate reality for us. I suspect it's something like the way that younger folks - who didn't live through the 'duck-and-cover' drill days in public schools or the Cuban Missile Crisis - don't have quite the same morbid fear of nuclear holocaust that our parents have.

Maybe this sort of thing is part of what causes the seemingly tremendous gap between the generations regarding our President and his splendid little war and the 'global war on terror' (as long as you consider Iraq a global location, like McDonalds or Starbucks).

Given that, I guess I no longer think of my folks so much as clinically insane, but as the unfortunate products of their environment.

Hopefully, that will make the holiday dinners a little less confrontational this year.

(I'm curious, though. Readers - all six of you - what do you think? Oh, and Dad, this is all meant a bit tongue-in-cheek. I don't REALLY consider you clinically insane.

Just a trifle misguided ;-) .)