Boomers and Spock
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Re James Pinkerton’s Column Right, “Baby Boomers and Narcissism Come Groping,” March 19:
Pinkerton says that Dr. Benjamin Spock inspired excess affection and created the narcissism of a generation of boomers. Spock promoted the idea of respect for the child, not indulgence. Only a child who has been treated with empathetic respect, as if his feelings mattered, is capable of feeling for the plight of others. If later this respect for the child translated to saying “no” to the Vietnam War and “yes” to civil rights, then I’m all for it.
It was narcissistic and authoritarian thinking that got us into Vietnam and that resisted civil rights reform.
The right-wing cheerleaders for respect for authority rather than respect for people would have us believe that any caring for the experience of others is somehow wrong or misguided.
MARC SADOFF
Pacific Palisades
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