Judith Warner on "A Whole New Era"

I've blogged in the past about how our children view the world in a much more inclusive, hopeful way than our generation. We've explained to our sons the significance of this election--how do you explain prejudice to a 5-year-old?--but I don't think they truly understand, since they have never witnessed hate and prejudice in their lifetimes. Judith Warner wrote eloquently about this generation gap in this New York Times essay soon after the election. It's worth a read.

"For me, this will be the enduring memory of election night 2008: One generation released its grief. The next looked up confusedly, eager to please and yet unable to comprehend just what the tears were about."

And she includes this amazing photo to illustrate her point:

At the First Corinthian Baptist Church in Harlem on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008,
Latrice Barnes, right, is comforted by her daughter Jasmine Redd, 5. (David Goldman for The New York Times)