Editorial September 16, 2013 Issue

An unselfish reputation

The Editors

Talk about a bad rap! After decades of being labeled one of the most selfish generations, Baby Boomers—at least some of them—feel they can now hand off the title of “most selfish generation” to Millennials, often defined as the generation born between 1980 and 2000. But do the 80 million Americans born during those years really deserve that label? We don’t think so.

God's law, which promotes unselfish love, is built into you.

Let’s consider some evidence that suggests Millennials are exceptionally unselfish. To take one example: The Fire Department for the city of Los Angeles recently made it known they were hiring new recruits. More than 13,000 applied for just a few hundred spots. One eyewitness suggests a huge percentage of applicants were Millennials. Even taking into account the tight job market, that means many want a job that includes running into burning buildings when everyone else runs out. It means doing so not just for family or friends, but for total strangers. And on top of that, some propose that Millennials have had to grow up during times of turmoil, and if one considers this factor, they are pragmatic and managing relatively well. 

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