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Baby boomer is a term that came into use following World War II to describe the explosion of babies born during, and immediately following the war as more than 13 million American GIs were reunited with their wives, and sweethearts upon returning from the war. After long separations, love was in the air, and birth control was not an issue. The babies born of that era became known as baby boomers shortly thereafter.

There was to much lesser degree a baby boom that resulted as soldiers returned from the wars in Korea, Vietnam, and now in Iraq. By comparison, any baby boom from these conflicts are miniscule, but the effect is the same. Babies raised by parents who have known war on a first-hand basis, and parents who have suffered separation tend to instill different values in their offspring.

Our current president, George W. Bush, might serve as an example of the traditional values that might be a part of the upbringing of a baby boomer because his father, and our former president, served honorably in World War II. Without a doubt, war experiences will affect our views, and teachings as we each raise our own families.

Whether you agree with his politics, or not, most Americans agree that President Bush is patriotic regarding the defense of the United States. Despite the sharp divide of public opinion, his upbringing at his parents hands shaped the person that he is today. The same will be true of all those born to parents with their war experiences in subsequent conflicts.

Baby boomers are likely to have the types of personal convictions regarding war to inspire their activities regarding politics. Some may have the opposite reaction to war from that of the Bush family. They may see war as the least desirable option to a conflict of interests. Thus, the debate over aggressively defending one's country may be in total conflict to others who want peace at almost any cost. The debate is valid, and thereby continues at this moment.

If there is to be an eventual peace between those in conflict today, it will likely come from the millions of baby boomers on both sides of the conflicts as they mature into adults with a commitment to create a better world, without war, and lacking future generations of baby boomers. I hope for a world where future baby booms are the natural result of love, and not the results of long separations.

Learn more about this author, Bob Schmidt.
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