People Power takes on ageism
In this community we will always speak out against ageism.
Did you know that 1 in 21 of us is practicing hurtful discrimination that is harming people in our communities? 1 in 2. This harmful discrimination causes: Increased health problems, depression, social isolation, and loneliness. It also causes a lower quality of life and reduced life expectancy. And this harmful discrimination is causing a majority of our population to ignore facts and instead make decisions based on existing biases.
Age is one of the first things we notice about other people. We tend to use age to segregate and separate people into stereotypes which leads to discrimination. We all have heard the jokes about Biden’s age or seen the tripping videos but isn’t this just another form of ageism? Ageism is defined as discrimination against older people because of negative and inaccurate stereotypes—and it’s so ingrained in our culture that we often don’t even notice. Most organizations now have diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) departments to tackle issues such as racism and gender bias. Even in those departments, age bias is seldom on the radar.2
Examples of ageism are all around us3:
viewing older people as out of touch, less productive, or stuck in their ways
viewing younger people as unskilled, irresponsible, or untrustworthy
Age discrimination runs both ways with organizations committing to hire only young or only older workers. Workers should be hired based upon their abilities and potential to do the job required. The same consideration must be afforded to candidates. Voters should elect leaders based upon their abilities and their potential to do the job. Right now the front runners for the office of President include our current President, Joe Biden (Democrat) and former President, Donald Trump (MAGA Republican) so let’s look at their abilities:
From age 78 to 81 Biden accomplished in 3 years:
President Biden has successfully enacted a bipartisan infrastructure bill, a bill focusing on gun safety, a bill combating climate change, a bill that raises corporate taxes and reduces the cost of prescription drugs, a bill promoting domestic semiconductor production, a bill ensuring marriage equality, and a bill guaranteeing proper care and benefits for our Veterans and their beneficiaries.
All the while, he has managed to simultaneously lower inflation, create jobs, and drive our economy to unprecedented levels of growth. Well done President Biden!
From age 71 to 75 Trump accomplished in 4 years:
Many of the accomplishments the Trump administration claimed have been debunked as misleading or achieved by Congress or former presidents.4 Never forget the last guy threw paper towels5 at storm victims, looked at the sun directly, and lied over 30,000 times. Not to mention he was twice impeached and tried to steal the people's vote.
People Power actions we can take:
If you see something, say something! We must advocate against ageism and promote people’s abilities. Remind people that we are hiring and voting for a candidate based upon their abilities and their potential to do the job.
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Everyone deserves to vote and thrive,
Laurie Woodward Garcia (paid with hugs and kisses, not bought by special interests)
People Power United | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
I believe in the power of the people. I have seen the love and determination of folks stepping up to write letters and postcards to voters, signing petitions and letter campaigns, making calls, sending texts, hitting doors, and dropping literature. There is no power like that of the people, and People Power United stands ready to protect our communities against any and all injustices. -Laurie
Data disclosure: People Power United does not share information. You are always able to opt-out of any action alerts or event reminders we send. We champion progressive values and are a grassroots group committed to increasing voter registration and participation. We are paid with hugs and kisses, not bought by special interests.
Shout out to People Power member LL for catching this error. “A very good topic, however, ck your facts, it was rolls of paper towels, not T-paper.” We have corrected.
Thank you for bringing this up. As a geriatric healthcare provider, I’ve been concerned that President Biden has been a severely victimized by ageism in the media for quite some time, it’s sickening.
A very good topic, however, ck your facts, it was rolls of paper towels, not T-paper. More must be addressed concerning this ageism issue at multiple levels. These issues are broad and complicated but should not be ignored because it is inconvenient. Let us expand this inquiry.