LETTERS

GENERATION X GETS REAL

The generation labeled X was a target market all too aware of being targeted [SOCIETY, June 9]. Dismissing us as do-nothings gave us plenty of leeway to do everything we wanted while no one was watching. Distrust for Big Business? No kidding, when it bends over backward trying to sell us a prepackaged identity. Disillusioned? Sure, about the kind of future we would have if we followed "the rules." Set to rule the world? Definitely, by being the first people in generations to define ourselves on our own terms. ELIZABETH BOUGEROL New York City

On behalf of my generation, I thank TIME for its cover story on Generation X. Finally, our efforts and achievements are being recognized as productive and meaningful. Your article shines the brightest rays of light on our unorthodox but seemingly successful methods. I also thank my peers for yelling loudly enough to make the boomers and matures hear our messages. MATT FONTANA Lynchburg, Va.

Your article "Great Xpectations" teaches us that Generation X is exactly like the preceding generation, which was a carbon copy of the generation before it. In the 1930s, when I was a child, adults were saying the next generation would be different. Well, it was not! The human brain, for good or bad, evolves very slowly. The mindless rhetoric of "Great Xpectations" could be avoided if anyone of any generation read a little history! DOUGLAS KELLER Hollywood

TV and Nintendo haven't molded a whole generation into lazy slackers. Instead, the Xers are a better-informed, less gullible and more independent populace. Along with playing in garage bands, Generation Xers have started garage companies--virtual cottage industries in a time of downsizing conglomerates. And these start-ups are creating exciting and lucrative careers, not more McJobs. Yes, "there's gold in them thar hills," and X marks the spot. MARKUS DIERSBOCK Marblehead, Mass.

Although millions of us were born between 1965 and '77, please remember that millions of us reject the rude, crude and morally vacuous "values" your interviewers chose to use as examples of Generation X. Like our parents and grandparents, we know that only honest, hardworking and morally upright individuals can truly influence this nation in the right direction. Your incessant make-believe reporting has convinced many that these timeless virtues aren't relevant in today's world. Wrong again. CHARLES AKERS Caracas

What do you mean we have given up on idealism and given in to the fact that we cannot change the world? Maybe our way of changing the world is by living our lives for ourselves. Is it fair to say that it's not idealistic to want self-gain, self-progress and self-gratification? Isn't it possible that our point of view may be that preservation of self is the best solution to making the world a better place? You seem to be correct in saying my generation is very materialistic; we care about the cars we drive and the houses we own. But the difference between us and the matures is that we want these things for ourselves, as opposed to wanting them to keep up with our neighbors. I'm in this for myself and not to satisfy anyone else. If everyone would be concerned about himself or herself and quit worrying about what the other person is doing, the world could become a better place. DANIEL L. MCCOLLUM Sewell, N.J.

No, we Boomers aren't in shock. We're not even much surprised. After all, these are our kids. May they continue to defy their detractors' expectations! STEVEN J. SWEENEY Turramurra, Australia

There's enough of the slacker in me to wait for some E-mailer to present my viewpoint. But my views are not reflective of the greedy self-interest that apparently drives my fellow Xers. Most of the X Generation cannot realistically afford laptops. Certainly those I know who are members of minority groups can't--and I can't. Those Xers who do not see that their PCs separate them from the mainstream even more than television does should turn off their PCs and TVs and look outside. JOHN STEENHOEK Wyoming, Mich.

The real story about Gen X is that Xers are radically altering the workplace, the employer-employee bargain and the nature of work. We are showing all workers that everyone is, ultimately, a sole proprietor in today's world, and in doing so we are helping to change the rules of the game at work for all Americans forever. Industry leaders know this, and that's why they have put Generation X on the front burner of their corporate agendas. They know that Generation X is a lens through which to see the future of work, and can act as a compass to guide business leaders into that future. BRUCE TULGAN New Haven, Conn.

The folks most willing to believe the slacker charade seem to be those who want a piece of the action. The young hipsters profiled by TIME as examples of youthful ingenuity and exuberance have no more going for them than a knack for recognizing trends and capitalizing on them. There's nothing extraordinary about young people forging into new territory, economic or otherwise--it happens in every generation. The presumption that people under 30 nowadays spend their time vacillating between doldrums and self-absorption while playing video games and munching on Hostess cakes and Ding Dongs is preposterous. CHRISTIAN M. COGAN Oakland, Calif.

Generation X has been shaped by a cold and dark world. Society turned its back on us; now we are turning the tables on it. We are here to redefine American values. Our vision of the American Dream is not only to solve America's problems but also to make our nation stronger for the generations that follow. JOEY HIMPELMANN Waukegan, Ill.

THE DEFINITION OF X

I don't believe that a generation can be described as having a set of traits and a personality [SOCIETY, June 9]. We are talking about 45 million individuals with different experiences and genes. But, hey, don't let me rain on your media wonderland. No, I'll scratch my baby-boomer head and say, "Gosh, I thought those Gen X kids were lazy, ignorant losers, but I guess I was wrong. They're actually brilliant, ambitious, ironic folks who live at home till they're 30 and watch as much TV as they can!" I hope I'm not going to be redefined next issue. ROB GLASER Chicago

"We're not what you thought" is the most correct and comprehensive description of Generation X yet offered. In many ways, the people of my generation give thanks to your uninformed and unfair misconceptions. Your telling us we're slackers has made us work harder. Your telling us we're losers has deepened our desire to win. In the same way that Depression children learned to survive the failure of the economy, we've learned to survive the ineptness of the preceding generation. MICHAEL CATHEY Los Angeles

How do I get my name off the X list? Though I'm 29, I don't fit the profile. I was raised in an intact family, finished college in "only" four years, watch very little TV and don't own a computer. If this group ever gets a grip, I'll put my name back on the list. Until then, consider me a late boomer. KRISTIN SNYDER LAURENCELL Towson, Md.

As a Gen Xer, I see my generation fitting your description of the boomers and thus heading down the wrong path in this troubled world. Our optimism is premature and foolish considering the egoistic bent of most Gen Xers; we are simply too individualistic and materialistic to accomplish anything real and global. Dostoyevsky's Father Zosima reminds us that the individualism and materialism of modern life lead to isolation, nothing more. BRIAN R. FRAPPIER Manville, R.I.

THE CROAKING OF JOE CAMEL

Your depiction of the croaking Joe Camel in a hospital bed [BUSINESS, June 9], complete with oxygen breathing tube, should be plastered on every billboard that once had the cool Joe with a cigarette drooping from his fat lips. JILL STOECKER Boulder, Colo.

UNDERNEATH THE ARCHES

As the owner-operator of several McDonald's restaurants, I found your gloom-and-doom article off the mark [BUSINESS, June 9]. Yes, sales are not at previous levels; however, McDonald's, as the leader of quick-service restaurants, has the responsibility, indeed the mandate, to provide our customers with quality, service, cleanliness and values, guidelines that are the foundation of Ray Kroc's legacy. If it means new products and promotions, so be it. It is always better to lead than to follow. Our competitors still need to ketchup. PATRICIA WILLIAMS Los Angeles

You failed to address a key shortcoming: lack of service. There was a time when any visitor to McDonald's could expect excellent service and a clean, efficiently run operation served up with the burgers and fries.

No more. In the past year or so, I have noticed that many McDonald's restaurants employ personnel who are consistently indifferent. Restaurants are often dirty, and even the simplest requests cannot be accommodated. The executives at McDonald's need to address more than what's on the menu. They need to re-establish the level of service that consumers expect. LAURIE R. ORR Plano, Texas

I would gladly pay twice as much for a burger, fries and milk shake that taste as good as the ones we got when Mom and Dad piled us in the car and took us to dinner at Mickey D's. Fat, sodium and calories be damned! JOAN HADDOCK Birchwood, Tenn.

I have always thought of McDonald's as a toy store that just happened to sell hamburgers. Why doesn't it stop selling plastic junk and flat, dry burgers? McDonald's could use a cooking lesson or two--you know, How to Barbecue a Hamburger 101. DALE BENWELL Merced, Calif.

PAULA'S DAY IN COURT

Why would any mature workingwoman feel that her reputation is damaged when she is propositioned [NATION, June 9]? All she has to do is say no and forget it. RUTH J. SMOCK Silver Spring, Md.

I don't question Paula Jones' right to sue the President while he is in office; I question her right to sue any citizen on such unprovable charges. It would be nice to find just one Anita Hill or Paula Jones who realized the gravity of the wrong done to her and sought redress before her "torturer" achieved national prominence. "Within 24 hours" would be a more appropriate standard than "within earshot of 24 microphones." LANE FILLER Columbia, S.C.

Unless you are a confirmed Clinton fanatic, you would agree that Paula Jones is entitled to her day in court. If Clinton makes an out-of-court settlement with Jones, he is to all intents and purposes making an admission of guilt. If Clinton is innocent of the charges, he should look forward to facing Jones in court and proving that he is the Divine Being the media continually make him out to be. HOPE BRYSON Los Angeles

As a foreigner working in the U.S., I am dismayed by the public attention paid to sleazy, tabloid-level events and issues. I disagree with the Supreme Court ruling that Clinton can be taken to trial. The President should be immune to relatively insignificant accusations of liability. I suggest that a referendum be held to nullify the court ruling. TAIMUR MUSTAFA Houston

This media frenzy about Clinton and Paula Jones is beyond out of control. BRAM COHEN Ile Bizard, Que.

SORRY, WRONG NUMBER

Daniel Kadlec's premise that "break-ups almost always are more valuable than megamergers" may be true for the investor [BUSINESS, June 9]. What he fails to factor into the equation is the effect on the total populace. My phone service has deteriorated, I still have no local competition, and my cost has skyrocketed. As for me and my house, bring back "One Bell System that works." MAURICE E. CORBIN III Columbia Station, Ohio

NOWHERE TO RUN

Why do people continue to live on floodplains of big rivers and then wonder why they get flooded out year after year [NATION, June 9]? And why don't people living in areas most prone to tornadoes have basements in their homes? Cellars would not only help save their lives but also give them temporary shelter while rebuilding. Have these people lost all common sense? KENNETH O'NEILL Danbury, Conn.

Living in southeast Florida, where hurricanes and tornadoes are pretty common in summer, I understand the fear of knowing you might be the next target. What I don't understand is why geodesic-dome homes are not more common in the Southeast and in "tornado alleys" in the Midwest. A company that puts out a kit guarantees its domes against tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and winds of as much as 300 m.p.h. Geodesic domes may not be as pretty as your typical farmhouse or beach cottage, but they would definitely outlast them. LAURELLE BALOG West Palm Beach, Fla.

THE GREAT CODE

It is hard to believe that anyone would take seriously Michael Drosnin's conveniently convoluted computerized version of the Bible [RELIGION, June 9]. It's the cyber equivalent of finding Elvis' face on a potato. By turning the Bible into a contemporary horoscope, Drosnin trivializes it and cheapens himself. ISAAC STEVEN HERSCHKOPF New York City

So Drosnin says that the future can be foretold via patterns of words found in the Jewish Torah. Hmmm. Following an elaborate decoding system of my own creation, I have deduced that the letters in the name Michael Drosnin can be rearranged to spell out the mysterious phrase "Him conn'd Israel." Any message in that? ERIC BENDER Kirkland, Que.

ADVICE TO A SON

Roger Rosenblatt's "Speech for a High School Graduate" [ESSAY, June 9] is worth the price of a year's subscription! HOWARD F. HORNER Portland, Ore.

Not since I thrilled to the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance" have I read a piece as eloquent and loving as Rosenblatt's advice to his son. In a society creaking under the weight of the almighty dollar as the ultimate symbol of "worthship," in which the emphasis lies on aggrandizing and glorifying the whole at the expense of individual self-realization and contentment, Rosenblatt's words were a healing balm of inspiration. His son may look back one day and realize, if he has not already, that his father possesses what is arguably the most noble of human traits: the courage of his own convictions. Would that every graduate could be so fortunate as to be given these fine words as a parting gift instead of a brand-new BMW. KIM CARLSON New York City

Is Roger Rosenblatt serious? College is the best four years of life. One does not spend them waking up at 6, staring at mountains and admiring sunsets. Rather, going to bed at 5 a.m., waking up at 12, rushing to classes and pulling off all-nighters sound more like it. SANJEEVI-DEEPU VRIDHACHALAM Valhalla, N.Y.