Letter to Mitch Albom

Mr. Albom:

Re your article at:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071014/COL01/710140649/1136/BUSINESS10



In ancient Rome, teenagers who wanted to rebel against the Establishment announced to their shocked parents that they had become Christians.

During the Renaissance, teenagers who wanted to rebel against the Establishment announced to their shocked parents that they had become Protestants.

In modern America, teenagers who want to rebel against the Establishment announce to their shocked parents that they have become atheists.

In all cases, it's a matter of identifying with the alarming minority point of view for the sake of saying "up yours" to the proper, socially accepted majority point of view.

Perhaps if the proper, socially accepted majority point of view weren't usually so oppressive and quick to condemn teenagers, this form of rebellion wouldn't be so common -- or occasionally produce such tragic results.


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Any idiot, upon seeing the 1st automobile, could easily predict that it would revolutionize transportation. Only someone with exceptionally keen insight could have foreseen that it would also revolutionize the sex lives of teenagers.
-- Isaac Asimov