DOES UNITED STATES CULTURE DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ADULTS?

Once upon a time, children were expected to be seen and not heard. Today's culture tends to value the opinions and input of our youth over those expressed by aging adults. Technology advanced quickly, leaving many adult citizens, especially aging Americans, out of the loop. In today's world, communication, politics, and even job hunting requires that one be computer literate, and have computer and Internet access; however, many who lack computer skills still have much to offer us.

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES

It is no secret that children and youth have it hands up when it comes to physical strength and appearance. Puppies are also purchased at a high price, while adult dogs receive (so called) humane euthanasia, because there are no homes in which to place them. As a former dog breeder, my puppies generally sold for $600, and their parents were not AKC champions, or even close. If a puppy did not sell before six months old, I either sold him or her for $100, to someone who was willing to answer a lot of nosey questions and pass my requirements test, or found a trusted friend and dog lover, who provided a home for the then adolescent dog. My trusted friends paid me nothing, but offered me guilt free peace of mind.

The point here, is that my puppies had nothing more to offer than the same dogs as adults, other than extreme youth, and the smell and appearance of a new puppy. It did not occur to me to feel any guilt at the time; today I volunteer hours weekly to animal rescue groups, through writing, connecting people, and even at times transporting animals from one place to another. It has occurred to me that as Americans, we demonstrate the same attitudes towards humans that we overtly express about dogs and cats. "The only problem with a puppy or kitten, is that it grows up to become a full grown dog or cat." Maybe the only problem with human babies and children, is that they grow up to be adults, and eventually reach senior adult status.

THE UNBORN VS ABANDONED AGING ADULTS

The abortion issue is alive and well, and it doesn't even matter which side you're on, because it gets much more press coverage, and public interest and attention than the plight of those abandoned to "old folks" homes. Am I to believe that we care more about the rights of those who have not even been born yet, than we do those of our parents, grandparents, and aging adults who may have never been parents, but have already made their contributions to society in general, including children and those yet to be born? It would certainly appear so.

WELFARE REQUIREMENTS

Children and their parents (generally mothers, I don't know that males are ever included) are eligible for Medicaid benefits to assist with health-care costs. I can only assume the parents are included, due to their need to care for the children involved. To my knowledge, childless adults never qualify for Medicaid health-care benefits, unless they are disabled, even though they may have paid taxes that support such programs for years before losing their own private insurance benefits, or reaching the financial cap set by their private insurance companies. These people have paid taxes for many years; the babies we are so concerned about have never paid the first dime. What is wrong with this picture?

DREAMS, HOPE, SCHOLARSHIPS, ENCOURAGEMENT

Many opportunities have set age limits. Some contests and scholarship opportunities place an age cap on who may enter. We tend to assume that if someone has not succeeded at doing something outstanding before he or she reaches a certain age, it is not going to happen. The truth is that many artists, and now famous writers and composers, died in obscurity, poor and penniless. Who are we to place an age limit on the hopes and dreams of anybody, whether they be children or adults? Unfortunately, we do so daily with our attitudes, even when we are not involved in actually physically setting age limits for other ambitious activities. We kill the productivity, hope, and dreams of aging adults through subtle age discrimination long before they die physically.

CHILDREN GROW UP TO BE ADULTS

Please do not assume I hate children; I have great nieces and nephews, all of whom I dearly love. They will someday be aging adults, as we all will, if we do not die first. Children are only young humans. We can offer them nothing we do not also offer to adult and aging humans, because they will not remain children. Like dogs and cats, they will become adult humans, who are no longer cute and cuddly, but still need love, attention, and respect. Do we really want to send the message to our kids, or to anyone, that their worth decreases with age?

SOLUTION

Start listening when aging adults speak. They just might know something from their many years of experience that you haven't learned yet, even if it can't be found on the Internet. Respect experience, as all the sheep skin and book learning in the world do not hold a candle to it. Stop putting all of your eggs into the physical appearance basket, yours and the physical appearance of other people with whom you come into contact. Our perceptions are greatly impacted by our expectations.

 Expect new accomplishments in other aging adults, and in yourself as you grow older, and never ever buy into the concept that you are too old to do, or accomplish anything. As long as there is breath in your body, and your mind is still alert enough to read these words, you are not finished with your life. Life is for the taking. Go out there and get you some of it.