A few years ago my son-in-law said something that really hurt. He said the Vietnam protests were because guys didn't want to get drafted. I kept my tongue but wanted to say, "hey buddy, I was there. I know why students protested the Vietnam War and you don't."
My son said the same thing. It didn't hurt me as much, probably because I wasn't there myself. And he had a point -- the prospect of being drafted certainly lent urgency to some protests. But it's still inaccurate, and I didn't hold my tongue.
He thinks Millennials (and maybe Gen. Z) are more political and protest much more vigorously. I said Boomers were opposed to the war for humanitarian reasons, too -- all that pointless death. And they were protesting more than just the war; also racial justice and other things.
He's also thinking of how Boomer-age voters are more likely to support Trump and Republicans in general than younger people are. Polls usually show that he's right. My suspicion is that there were always conservative Boomers; they just weren't as visible back then. But '60s protesters and related cultural transformations were extremely visible. And after all, it's not like the people in crowds at Trump rallies are all over 60 -- there are lots of younger people.
On the other hand, I've heard of presumably hip Boomers who've unexpectedly come out as conservative. Like Eric Clapton. That one is completely disappointing, because I've always liked to argue that the best Republicans can come up with for musicians are Ted Nugent and Kid Rock.
And then there's the old adage, "If you're conservative at 20 you have no heart; if you're liberal at 60 you have no brain." Obviously I don't agree with that but there's probably something to it.
