Blue Plate: Generation X in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives

If this is your first time to visit my blog, I post "Blue Plate Specials" every week or so. These serve as a news aggregate for Generation X. They include the best current Gen X news and blog posts. Enjoy!

Six of the Ninety-Nine current U.S. Senators are members of Generation X (born 1961 to 1981.)

Follow this link to the list.

Of the 435 current members of Congress (a.k.a. the U.S. House of Representatives), 67 are members of Generation X including two from Oklahoma, John Sullivan and Dan Boren.

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First, out of the gate, is this Generation X blogger I discovered today. This post, written on his 35th birthday and titled American History, Generation X, is full of straight-forward fact and emotion. It's a memoir of sorts reflecting on growing up in Idaho, reverse racism and voting in a presidential election for the first time for a Black man. This former Marine has a lot to say, and I believe is worth the time it will take you to run through this post. He mentions Fort Sill, Oklahoma, so for all you Okies, there is a local angle here, disturbing as it is.

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Michael McGruther is not happy. He hates the term Generation X. Can you blame him? And, he eloquently writs about this growing disturbance:

"Now it’s all about “Gen-Y” as the media elite so eagerly point out. Obama is the first Gen-Y President they say. (Where was the Gen-X President? Shouldn’t there be one before Y?) Some call him part of Generation Jones, whatever that is. There’s got to be a reason we’ve been so cleverly cast aside by the main stream media and my guess is that they know we’re the biggest threat to their industry they have ever seen."

How 'bout if everybody pop on over to this post and leave a comment for McGruth?

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The Ottawa Citizen reports reports the opening of the play based on Douglas Coupland's Generation X. Patrick Langston reviews Lewis MacLennan's adaptation Life After God. He thinks the play depicts Generation Xers as a tiresome bunch of characters who live spiritually empty lives.

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Two great Generation X Memoirs to check out.

A Doll's House, by Blasts from the Past, and Water by Old Man Neill.

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In the last week or so, I have had two people leave comments on my blog indicating a lack of connection to of awareness of Generation X.

These comments underscore one of the many things that help define the collective persona of Generation X. As best I can tell from the research I have done, the individuals that comprise Generation X in the United States grew up with a natural tendency to shy away from group identification. This led to a lack of generational awareness. In addition, the term "Generation X" became a pejorative. Howe and Strauss, the leading authorities in generational research, named the generation the underwhelming "13th Generation." (Wow. Such a lucky number.)

Articles like this don't really help the situation. The generic headline, President of a New Generation, features this sub-head: "Born near end of baby boom, Obama identifies with 'millennials'." Huh? What about Generation X? Anyone born between 1961 and 1981 are members of Generation X, including Obama who was born August 4, 1961, and the new U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geitner born just 14 days later.

The article does state:

"Count Gen X-ers in, too. They're the wave that followed the boomers and in which Obama feels that he belongs. They've had their noses out of joint for a long time about the boomers' gauzy 'give peace a chance' sincerity and self-importance."

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MaineBusiness.com reports that generational differences are now coming into play when it comes to cold calling tactics.

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Forbes has an article about Generation X, family values and the new first family. A great little read. Check it out!

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Tammy Erickson, Harvard Business Review: Generation X Finally Takes Over.

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This blogger calls Generation X the bitter generation.

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Generation X Life Support blogger posts lay off survival tips.