It is never too late to give up our prejudices ~ Thoreau
In a 2002 Senate hearing on aging, actress Doris Roberts (Mom in “Everybody Loves Raymond”), now 89 years old, testified that:
My peers and I are portrayed as dependent, helpless, unproductive and demanding rather than deserving. In reality, the majority of seniors are self-sufficient, middle-class consumers with more assets than most young people, and the time and talent to offer society.
Shame on you if you thought this would be an elder-abusing rant on how young people rock. (They do-- but so do our elders. Always remember: At any age, nice people rock -- mean people scissors.) Shame on you if you think Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, or Elizabeth Warren are "over the hill."
Congressman John Dingle (D-MI) now the longest-serving member of Congress with more than 57 years on the Hill under his belt, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), the longest currently serving member of the Senate with more than 38 years of service, and Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) now the longest-serving female on the Hill with more than 36 years of service, would all like you to consider the longevity of Democrats when it comes time to cast your votes.
Even Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the longest-serving independent in our government (my own psuedo-party affiliation) is considering throwing his hat in for the Democratic primaries, perhaps playing the odds for increased longevity.
If you think age has marred these veterans' abilities, you're at odds with the voters of Michigan, Maryland, and Vermont who have consistently determined that's simply not the case.
Young people take note: in the 2012 election, according to US Census data, more people are 75+ voted than did the youngsters age 18-24.
Racism, sexism, and all other "isms" are among the most despicable traits known to humankind. Of all the "isms," ageism is the only one that potentially affects us all. Be careful of your prejudices; they may one day be turned against you.
The stereotype of the demented Alzheimers patient is flat out wrong and rotten. When it comes to health problems, Americans over the age of 65 are more likely to smoke or to be obese than to experience loss of mental acuity. According to the Univ. of Rochester Medical Center
Dementia is not part of aging... The most common late-in-life mental health condition is depression.
Not dementia. Maybe if we were kinder and more attentive to our elders, they would not end up struggling with depression.
The American Psychological Association (APA) informs us that
New neurons continue to develop throughout our lives… the brain remains capable of regrowth and of learning and retaining new facts and skills throughout life, especially for those who get regular exercise and intellectual stimulation.
The APA goes on to suggest that semantic memory (the ability to recall concepts and general facts, vocabulary and language) and procedural memory (doing routine tasks we perform frequently throughout life) stay the same or may even improve in old age.
An article on aging in the Atlantic offers this tidbit on remaining positive in old age:
…those with an optimistic view of old age lived an average of 7.5 years longer than those with a pessimistic view, even after controlling for factors like overall health, socioeconomic status, and loneliness. In another study, this one from 2012, a team of researchers followed 598 people over the age of 70 as they recovered from disabling injuries or illnesses. Sure enough, those with more positive ideas of aging were more likely to make a full recovery.
Negative steroetypes are the soul-less and vapid sling-shots of playground bullies. So let's be positive, respectful and kind. As Voltaire said some 250 years ago:
We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly — that is the first law of nature.
~
[Sidebar: I occassionally peruse unrecommended and neglected diaries here on Daily Kos. Sometimes you find some real gems, other times a stinker or two. This diary is in response to a recent unrecommended diary about politicians that are "too old to run," and a comment I read there saying, "I would never vote for anyone over 60." Well, if you voted for Obama, then you chose a winner. Otherwise I assume with your ageist bias, you have no doubt seldom voted for a winning candidate.]