For glittering prizes and end- less compromises,

Shatter the illusion of integri- ty. from Spirit of the Radio, Rush,

HERE I thought the Generation-X phenomenon would go the way of political correctness, outdoor bas

ball and Tom Arnold.

By A.P. NeCredie News Reporter

‘The senseless suicide of Kurt Cobain, lead singer of the Seattle band Nirvana, has produced an oul- pouring of accolades and condem- nations.

* Whether praising of reproaching the 27-year-old poet/songwriter, however, a constant (heme seethes

within all the commentaries —

angst.

The most overused word of the decade, angst has became the defining characteristic for those born between the years 1964 aad 1976 — the so- called Generation-X,

In tife, Cobain had become the unwitting spokesman of a gener tion is he tapped into his own dark feelings and produced songs that rivaled other 20th centu- ry, dngst-fuelled poets: Lennon, Morrison, Cohen,

His music, critics raved, captured the lost hope and cynical outlook the youth of today supposedly carry around their necks like the proverbial alba- (ross,

In death, Cobain's fate as spokesman of my generation is sealed.

A UBC graduate student recent-

bee Me pete

A megahome hurrah

"Dest Editor: After a long and difficult ‘ strugule, we, the residents have ‘brought a semblance of control to ‘the advancing blight. of mega- ‘homes, in North Vancouver District. | : We must give full credit to “Coun. Emie Crist, who spoke up “, Clearly: in response to the wishes ‘Of the ‘majority. Without Ernie’s Jetireless efforts, I doubt that “bylaws 6644/and 6645 would

have ‘passed. Owners of older |

- homes ‘may now relax-a little in . “thei established neighborhoods.

‘

A permit to build an out of keeping monster next door will not be issued! The ttnanimous

decision by mayor and council .‘{

was welcome and somewitat sur-”

prising in view of the protracted

delays in coming to grips with

the problem. Perhaps it suddenly

became obvious that the band-

wagon was about to depart! Thanks must also to the

North Shore News for airing all

aspects of the controversy. Your

coverage was excellent.

HLT. (Bert) Cowan

North Vancouver

a a healthy s Situation

Surely,” ‘the NDP’s shift to com- ‘munity heelth care cannot be taken seriously’ ‘when the municipal nurs- es on'the North Shore have been -without a contract for almost 24 years.”

. British Columbians are leaving ~acitie care centres believing they will veceive ‘community-based ser- vices, but without nurses this care will not be there! = The main issue at’stake is not simply wages but the inequality of _ wages between.community nurses and hospital nurses. :The North Shore community

care nurses are seeking a master

. agreement with all BCNU members

and employers. It does not make sense for a community health nurse to be paid Icss than his or her coun- terpart in a hospital.

Nurses have been left without a choice and it is with absolute frus- tration with this NDP. government that has pushed them to the point of withdrawing their services.

Many of us do not fully appreci- ate the issue here, but just wait until you need a nurse and nobody is there. :

Daniel Jarvis MLA North Va Vsncouver-Seymour

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ly wrote on this page that Cobain’s death makes Xers “angry for the unshakable awareness it whispers tous of just how phony our ironic

66...angst haus become

the defining characteristic for those born between the years

1964 and 1976... 99

little generation ts.”

Apirt from perpetuating the “why us” sentiment of a generition, such cynic cal observations serve nolice that the Generation: train still bas a lot of gas in the‘tank,

The packaging of a caltural icon (especially one thati is 0 longer

Friday, May 27, 1994 - North Shore News - 7

breathing, let alone rocking) j is nothing new, but Cobain's life. after-edeath marks a fiest formy generation,

Likewise, his death marks the first time commentators have had ihe opportunity to drape the angst flag over a cusket,

Ttwill not be-the last.

The boomer’s fate as suricatures -— from long-haired beginnings to coddled middle-age — is the impending tite of my, and probably future, generations, The youth chapter of my “ironic little generation” is ended with Cobain's death.

Andy Rooney — better known for his whiny diatribes about junk mail, Gypewriters or the state af his medicine cabinet ~ devoted his 60 Minutes commentary to the demise of the pop star,

SOE” AE

After admitting he had never heard of Cobain until the morning the New Vork Times featured the singer's suicide on page one, Rawney axhibited bi impressive, old-schoot journalistic instinets by drawing a couple of conclusions about Cabain's generation,

First, since @ photo uccompany- ing the article pictured Cobain ina pair of jeans with rips in the knees, the CBS newsman leapt — a fa Rush Limbaugh -~- to tie conelu- sion that the Seattle singer was not worthy to wear workingman's duds, becuse “he's probably never worked a day in his life.”

Rooney then trotted oul the clas- sic “Great Depression-Second World War- Vietnam” example to show how my languid existence has not been earned (Like his own silary has been?),

Batten down the hatches mateys, the ride into the unchartered waters of our 30s is going to be a rough

Many families survived the Second Worid War intact

, Dear Editor:

Writer Bob Hunter experiences at times. significant difficulty writ- ing about happenings that occurred during his own Jeenage and adult years,

Why write about the Second World War, .when by your own admission you were too young to understand? I sympathize with the breakups that occurred in your fam- ily, but I ask you, is this to be the subject of a column in the North Shore News?

Really.

Fortunately I am about.12 years ~older than you and therefore my memories and views of the war are

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my own.

Looking back to the families of my mother and father, there are an additional seven brothers and sis- ters, plus spouses. Five served in the First World War; two were lost,

All marriages survived. This group produced 19 cousins, and all those old enough at the time of the Second World War, 11 in all, served their country. Fortunately all . came home, most married and, save. } for two, lived happy lives.

Contrary to your suggestion,’ many men and women who served - were not hard-drinking, hard-smok- ° ing, spouse abusers. |

Perhaps our family was fortu-

otors Lid. 985-9344

nate. As a youngster, and still today us an adult, I can attest to the fact that we still possess a strong sense of responsibility and appreciation of family values.

Possibly when in '75 you last saw your Uncle Ernie, you were still running around under the flag of Greenpeace, trying to save the . world.

Perhaps your time would have. been betier Spent trying to save the family.

Just one person’ ’s opinion, strict- ly personal you understand. Think about it Bob. . Kent Martin North Vancouver

“4

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