It is nice to see our collective "American Exceptionalism" myth is alive and well, at least with letter writer Tom Tursich in his attack on Cloy Swartzendruber's apology to the millennials ("Greatest generation built this country," Sept. 19).

I found it sensitive that a fellow boomer would recognize our flaws and extend consideration to a generation left with the fallout from our actions. Mr. Tursich's piece was so full of arguable premises, but there is one I cannot let pass without a response. The U.S. did not "win" WWII. Nobody wins when an entire continent is left in ruins, atomic weapons get used on civilians and tens of millions overall are killed. What we did do was dovetail into Britain's resilience and Russia's great sacrifices - riding in very late to the party with fresh resources, the most important of which was oil, and finished off an already tired and overextended German Army. And Japan? Let's not go there.

Mr. Swartzendruber's apology was a breath of fresh air in that respect, but he still fell short. We boomers are collectively racist and sexist, greedy and selfish. We have burned up almost all of the oil, trashed the environment with self-righteous impunity, depleted the ozone layer, and very possibly have permanently disrupted the planet's climate to a potential point of no return.

MAGA? Are you kidding? We were either always great, or we never were, depending upon your point of view ... the good old days are a perpetual fantasy.

-- Marshal Read, Northeast Portland