Frankie and Slim

Frankie and Slim
Happy New Year

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

IF THE AGEISM SHOE FITS

Here is an astounding comment stumbled across in recent blog reading session:

"Although 71 isn't THAT old, it is too old to be President, at 71 almost 70% of people who die have colon cancer, at 71 almost everyone has signs of dementia.... he (McCain) has one foot in the grave." Mike, Philadelphia

I would have to ask Mike from Philadelphia if he is not aware that from the moment we are born, we all have "one foot in the grave"?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ageism is stereotyping and prejudice against individuals or groups because of their age.[1] The term was coined in 1969 by US gerontologist Robert N. Butler to describe discrimination against seniors and patterned on sexism and racism.[2]

Butler defined ageism as a combination of three connected elements.

These were:

prejudicial attitudes towards older people, old age and the ageing process

discriminatory practices against older people

institutional practices and policies that perpetuate stereotypes about older people.[3]

The term has also been used to describe discrimination against teens and children, by ignoring their ideas because they're young or by assuming that they should behave a certain way because of their age.

Ageism is sometimes completely in the open. People use offensive language about older people when equivalent descriptions of minority ethnic groups or disabled people are socially unacceptable.

If Barrak Obama loses the Presidential election, people will cry racisim. If John McCain loses the Presidential election, who will cry ageism? Discrimination digs deep on any person discriminated against. Who established one form of discrimination to be nicer than another?

10 comments:

  1. You got that right Granny!

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  2. You GO Girl!

    (but why dontcha tell us how you really feel?) LOL

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  3. Mike is an idiot---sounds like he has yet to make it out of Highscool, he is definitely not well eductated. He no doubt is at that awkward age where he is still not comfortable wearing long pants and wishes he was still allowed to wear pullups. Kids, sheesh---

    Gary (aka old dude---71yo)

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  4. McCain shows more spunk and mental vitality than many people much younger than he is. Mike makes it sound like 71 means a person might as well curl up and die.
    You made a very good point here!!

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  5. You tell it like it is...that's why I keep coming back. :)

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  6. OGO and Judy, thanks for your enthusiastic response. Yep, I might tell say how I "really" feel someday. LOL

    Now Gary, we can't call Mike names because I'm sure that is is some kind of idiot discrimination.

    JD, I'm just so glad you're back for a while and glad you think us oldsters have some good left in us..

    Scarlet, I keep reading you for the same reason -- you can really tell-it-like-it-is..

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  7. ageism, racism, sexism . . . all are distractions that keep us from concentrating on the real issues of the decline of the United States and our gradual fall into fascism.

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  8. This man should have met the President of our church, Gordon B. Hinckly who did more at his age than so many people I know....He died last fall at the ripe old age of 93......You can't judge a person by his age.

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  9. In the coming election, ageism is a distraction, racism is the more troubling issue. But that's just the opinion of one old, about to be 75 white woman living in Harlem.

    Thanks for the great links to chickens, drawings of same.

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  10. You make an excellent point. Labels are so misleading and ageism is one we elders fight all the time.

    I guess both candidates have prejudices to overcome, but Obama's will be the hardest to surmount. Unfortunately, neither ageism or racism is dead. And you are right in that the prejudices will be the excuse, or reason, the loser didn't win.

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