There’s even the odd assumption that people tend to become invisible as they grow old ... women, in particular. In my case, for example, I figure I could rob a bank and nobody would even notice who done it. But, in reality, 'seniors' are the least likely to break the law, and maybe even the most reluctant to publicly express their opinions on controversial subjects, for fear of refutation, ridicule, or even recrimination.
Yes, there are 'elder statesmen' whose opinions are considered, if not always valued. There are grandparents who are revered, if rarely visited. But by and large, veneration for older people in our society has diminished at the same time that the generational divide has widened. The aged, themselves, are in part responsible for this, as they more and more insist that they are not really old. Today’s 50 is yesterday’s 30 and all that bravado, which suggests that today’s 80-year old is really more like 60. Life spans are being extended, and the consequences ignored. How can older people expect special treatment when they insist they have as much going for them as everybody else?
When it comes to raising their political voice, seniors, in general, would seem to lack the stamina, the vocal chords, and maybe even the will. 99% of the 99%ers in the Occupy Wall Street movement, for instance, looked young. Regardless of their message, they displayed the energy needed to launch a protest. Imagine, by contrast, a group of older people bearing up under their placards and rasping out their grievances. To some observers they might even appear pathetic, a perceived whiff of indecency and illegitimacy tainting their public actions. (We saw some of this in the reaction to the Tea Party protests.) After all, didn’t the older crowd already have what was promised them: medical coverage, monthly government checks, etc. — the very entitlements future generations may never get to enjoy?
Yet the raw truth is that our world, political and otherwise, remains the oyster of the young. Whether or not they succeed in finding within it the coveted pearls of wisdom and wealth, the young are America’s future. And although they have a less reliable record of turning out for elections, they are much sought after for their greater political shelf life.
On the other hand, older voters are still out there, and their numbers continue to grow. So, attention must be paid.
©2012 Doris O'Brien for SeniorWomen.com
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