The Political Correctness of Ageism

It seems to be okay to be ageist.

That’s what I’m getting from my exchanges with younger progressive friends.

It’s not okay to be racist, anti-gay, sexist, or even anti-Semitic, although that last one seems to be just barely making it into the not okay group if my Facebook feed is any indication.

Ageism isn’t a thing with many people, not something deserving of concern or even comment. If you’re old, you should expect to be marginalized, comes with the territory. And you should expect to step aside. You’re old? Go away. It’s somebody else’s turn.

Nope. It’s everybody’s turn. All the time.

An old person doesn’t have to leave the table in order for a young person to sit down. We can bring more chairs. Or we can change the people who are sitting in the chairs for other reasons besides their age, say, for their politics or behavior.

It’s disappointing to hear progressives call for older leaders to step aside, to essentially get out of the way so new ideas and energy can flow as if older leaders themselves never have either. And it’s discouraging to hear the little mockeries tossed about. Oh, she probably has Alzheimer’s. Well, you know his ideas are from the last century.