Although ageism is normally thought to be a prejudice against the elderly
it can also work in the opposite direction. People should not be discriminated
against because of age in any instance. Yet discrimination happens on a daily basis.
Chronological age should not be figured into how someone is perceived in general.
Age is a number, that is it. It has no bearing what so ever on someone's ability
or inability to function in the world today.
One major change I would implement is to stop putting age limits on certain
things in this world of ours today. Almost everything, especially in the United
States has an age limit attached to it. Whether it be a minimum age or a maximum
age. Its there, in place and we adhere to it. I would take in to consideration the
difference between people, not all 18 year old people are mentally 18, nor are all 75
year olds 75 in the same reference. They may have had that many birthdays in their
lives but that does not mean that they "act" as they are supposed to "act". And I
emphasize the word act because we all have a preconceived notion of how someone
of a certain age is suppose to "act".
Okay, here is the whole gist of my argument I hope to present to you. As a
middle aged woman, (I will be 51 next month) I am back in college. This is a
thought that a few years ago would not have entered my mind or that of half the
classmates I have had the distinct privilege to meet and get to know over the last 3
years. I do not think that it was even an acceptable idea to even entertain a few
years back. I have not researched in to when things really started to change for the
better, as far as people of *AGE* being more able and likely to do things in what
was once only thought and considered to be a young person's world.
When I was younger, it was the older person in the family that st...