The Orion Online

Issue date: 11/12/08 Section: Features

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Americans hate old people.

Ageism abounds in our youth-obsessed culture as the beauty of age has been transformed into liver spots and fine lines.

Childhood naivety is valued far more than the wisdom gained with time.

Just take a look at the recent election. John McCain's 72 years was a mark of incompetence, not a badge of honor.

I'm not saying McCain should be the leader of this country, but pegging him as "too old" to lead us seems a little backward to me.

Villages used to be run by the elderly and their advice was held at the highest regard because competency was judged by the compilation of life's many challenges and tribulations, not by fresh faces.

Before TV changed the course of elections forever, appearance did not play so heavy a role on the campaign trail.

But just like John F. Kennedy's vibrant and handsome demeanor helped grant him a spot in the White House, part of Barack Obama's success can too be credited to his young blood.

Wrinkles and leathery skin should not be reviled, but should be associated with character and truths learned. Instead, age fuels a multibillion-dollar facial care industry geared at "reversing the signs of aging."

With grandma and old man jokes commonplace, elders are made to feel incompetent and ashamed of the stretch of time they should be proud to say they lived through.

There's a saying, "It takes a village to raise a family."

But when we ship our parents off to old folks homes or elders take refuge in retirement communities, we are deconstructing the cohesive societal structure that provides rich experience and a stable environment for children.

The only respect senior citizens receive now is a discounted restaurant menu and maybe some of us will give up our seat on the bus.

Isolating senior citizens and attributing their age negatively is the symptom of an individualistic society.

Focus on the nuclear family has disconnected and separated the old and new, rather than fostering collaborative change through the ages.

Without the strong presence of those who have been around for more than 50 years, our youth are left with a culture void of something special, something only time can foster - wisdom.

Nicole can be reached at
featureseditor@theorion.com

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