Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in Glendale, Arizona has just begun. I wrote about Charlie in my previous post, including about his love for the youth of this country. In July of this year, Charlie sat down with Tucker Carlson for a wide-ranging interview that lasted almost two hours. I listened to that interview then and replayed it in the days after he was killed.

The interview on the Tucker Carlson Network (TCN) website has the lengthy title: Charlie Kirk: How Debt Has Radicalized Young America and Why Boomers Deserve the Blame. The photo above was taken when I was one year old (circa 1949). As such, I qualify; I am a “boomer.” So I listened intently during the interview for details concerning what I was being blamed for.

The interview started with a conversation about the Russiagate hoax. Several other topics were discussed before the main topic of the interview – the youth of our country – was broached. One of the early subtopics was BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later), and how the youth of this country (primarily) were using such unregulated schemes to buy things (e.g., a pizza in three easy installments). It was about this time – about one hour and six minutes into the interview – that boomers were brought into the conversation.

Below is the gist of that conversation. It reflects the official TCN transcript, modified somewhat based on the actual audio that I heard. You will see many “...” entries to indicate that I left out some of the spoken dialogue. Some of those omissions were lengthy, but I believe that the transcript below fairly represents the conversation that took place between Kirk and Carlson:

Charlie Kirk: ... Our young people can’t afford stuff and they have to finance their basic necessities. ... How did that happen? Answer, the wealth went to older people at the expense of the next generation. ... I get negative hate mail all the time because the boomers are super protective of their generation... .

Tucker: They’re repulsive. They’ve always been repulsive.  ... I was educated by them. They were my teachers and they were the worst. ... But above all they were about themselves. I hated them then. I hate them know. ... Horrible people. Horrible. Sorry. ... And by the way, if you are a baby boomer, take some responsibility for what you participated in. ... 

Charlie Kirk: ... That is the kicker. That’s what I will say. You guys have had it great. You’ve had the greatest run. ... The market goes up, your house gets more valuable, and ... you are leaving a crummy, unrecognizable serfdom in your wake. ... What I’m doing is I’m communicating to a very specific audience of people in charge that are ignoring this, and they are ignoring what’s coming next. And that’s the whole context of this conversation .... [End of Transcript]

So, what was Charlie so concerned about – what was he “communicating to a very specific audience of people in charge (e.g., Trump, senators, congressmen)?” His concern stemmed from the large intergenerational wealth gap that exists between the boomers and the youth in this country, the seemingly insurmountable nature of that gap, and the attractiveness of socialism to those failing to close that gap. The upcoming mayoral race in New York City was thought to be “a little bit of a trial balloon” – how much support (and by whom) would Mandani receive?

As you may have noticed, Tucker got all wound up concerning us boomers (e.g., repulsive, horrible). It seemed to me that while he was generalizing about “boomers,” he was for the most part talking about some of his former teachers – who were boomers – that he loathed. In any case, I suspect that some hyperbole (exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally) were expressed at that point in the interview. Tucker is usually much more restrained when he writes. 

So, my hero (Tucker Carlson) and Charlie Kirk are placing the blame for the problems of today’s youth on my shoulders. Am I guilty as charged? Is that sweet looking little boy pictured above now guilty? I will attempt to answer that question in a bit.

Charlie Kirk – The Apologist

Before addressing the boomer question, I want to say a few things about Charlie Kirk the apologist. I am envious of his talents. An apologist, per the dictionary, is a person who offers an argument in defense of something controversial. In my book series A Catholic Prays Scripture, I tried, in an apologetic manner, to defend the Catholic Church. I tried, via the book series, because I did not have the skills or personality to defend the Catholic Church verbally and publicly. Charlie had those skills and that personality. That is why I was envious of him. Among the many things that Charlie tried to defend, in an apologetic manner, was his Christian faith. His apologetic thoughts on God were woven into many of his comments and answers.

An example of this can be found about one hour and thirteen minutes into the interview with Tucker, when Kirk, still talking about the youth of this country, said this:

Charlie Kirk: “Now I don’t want to paint like a totally negative picture because there is one really good trend and it’s not because of baby boomers and it’s not because of our leaders. It’s that ... young men are going back to church. ... So, I get asked all the time, well, why are they going to the Catholic church? ... And I’m an evangelical. I’ll say, well, first of all, they want something that is lasting; they want something that is ancient and that is beautiful; something that has stood the test of time; something that’s not going to change; ... something that all of a sudden [won’t] ... just flip around and have some sort of transgender story hour. ... My great hope is the spiritual hope ....”

As I noted previously, Charlie Kirk was a great apologist.

My Defense

During the interview, Charlie said that us baby boomers will always try to downplay this issue by saying to the young something like “We did it, you can too,” or “We did it, why can’t you?” So, I too will, dutifully, try to defend myself. My long version of the following summary can be found in BS2: An Autobiography, if you are desperate for something to read.

I was born into a middle-middle-class family. If I wanted to go to college, I would have to pay for it. Mom and dad would happily support me with food and housing as best they could. So I got a job during high school and started saving up for college. 

I went to the local junior college because the tuition was cheaper, and I could depend on mom and dad for food and housing. I went to summer school after junior college so I could graduate in four years (to make up for some credit losses during my transfer). I continued to work while in college. I never had a scholarship or took out any student loans. Spring break was a chance to pick up more hours at work. The thought never crossed my mind to spend a semester in Europe. I got a degree in a discipline (Industrial Engineering) in which jobs were available. 

When I began working, I rented an apartment, watched my spending, and continued to save for a downpayment on a house. I got an advanced degree (MBA) with the assistance of the company that I worked for – their tuition refund program. I voted in virtually every primary and general election – for politicians that I believed would represent my interests. As I aged, I suspect may of those politicians were influenced by AARP.

That’s it in a nutshell. But in writing the above, I must admit that I was very lucky. I stumbled into a relatively high paying series of jobs while in school, and the tuition, books, and other expenses of college back then were much more reasonable (adjusting for inflation). I question whether I could pull it off today.

So, Am I Guilty as Charged (as a Boomer)?

Probably.

Certainly as regards the national debt that I have left (via my votes) for the younger generations.

Certainly as regards the ongoing wars that I have (via my vote) supported and the financial toll associated with those decisions.

Certainly as regards the nuclear clock that has kept moving towards midnight (under Boomer leadership).

Tucker and Charlie talked/joked about how we boomers like to travel, while our grandchildren struggle to advance. I have enjoyed my overseas trips to Ireland, Japan, Israel, Italy, and Great Britain – none of which helped the US economy and my grandchildren to any extent. And I’m off on another trip next week. Doubly guilty!

My AARP politicians have taken care of me over the years. The “Big Beautiful Bill” just passed into law has some provisions to reduce taxes on social security payments. As such, my income is treated more favorably than the income of my grandchildren. I find it interesting that – when trying to increase the manufacturing base in this country – we reduce taxes on social security payments and service industry tips (versus the income of the guy working the third shift at the plant).

So, in conclusion, I throw myself before the judge and plead, first guilty and then for mercy. I am not quite sure what to do about this issue. From a selfish standpoint (a boomer trait), it is probably better for me and my fellow boomers to try to head socialism off at the pass. I will support any government leaders who try to mollify the problem via legislation consistent with the constitution and the free enterprise system.

I will start by thanking Charlie Kirk for drawing this issue to my attention and the attention of the “very specific audience of people in charge.” RIP Charlie Kirk.