Boomers May Be Late to Fight for Rights (The end of the Gray Panthers?)

[Khephra]

PORTLAND, Ore. -- In 1970, when the law forced Maggie Kuhn to retire at age 65 from her executive position in a Philadelphia church, colleagues gave her a sewing machine as a parting gift.

She never opened it -- and instead, rebelled against everything it stood for, leading marches and staging guerrilla theater to protest the widespread discrimination against the elderly.

The Gray Panthers, the group she founded with a name inspired by the Black Panthers, aimed to radicalize older Americans and fight the image of the old as useless, infirm and withdrawn.

Their achievements are many, including the repeal of the mandatory retirement law.

But the group, once a force, is in decline -- and sociologists blame tomorrow's seniors, the baby boomers, who are still unwilling to call themselves middle-aged.

more..............

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-pri-gray-panthers,0,508747.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines

[havocmom]

1. some of us are gonna surprise a lot of people

as we sashay proudly into geezerhood with not much hope and the general lack of fear that eventually accompanies those two conditions.

[Mr.Green93]

2. the oldest boomer is 58

[SharonAnn]

5. And I'm one of them, since I'm 58. It just so happens that

as I move through cycles (in fashion, careers, political affiliation, etc.) the rest of the abby boomers seem to follow. Much as i'd like to think they're following me, the probable truth is that I adopt these cycles just a bit ahead of the rest because I'm just a bit older than the rest of the boomers.

And I'm here to tell you that my father's generation is still running things. They're in their 80's (even upper 80's) and still won't get out of the way. I told my uncle a couple of weeks ago that it was time for him to get out of the way. His generation have been running things my whole life and I'm good and tired of it.

he's a right-wing, radical Christian Republican and wants Social Security dissolved (he's got his West Point degree, Army paid Master's at University of Michigan, military retirement, and Lockheed retirement) because he wants to protect his "estate". I pointed out to him that in his entire life he had lived off the taxpayer and never appreciated it. Of course, he got angry, but i reminded him of all he had received form us.

No real point to this, just had to vent.

[CheshireCat]

6. I'm a 52 yo boomer - Our fathers' generation still run the show!

My father is 77 and he still works. He will never quit because his work gives him power. Dad still likes to control his daughters if he can. I love him, but we have always butted heads.

I agree that the "best" generation is still running things.

Vent away!

[Piperay]

8. Totally agree...

I have been frustrated by this myself, I am 50 years old and still get treated like I am an immature child. I once belonged to a group that involved mostly the WWII generation and found that my opinion as far as they were concerned counted for zero. That generation will just not release control because in their minds they still see us as spoiled, long-haired rampaging hippies. I am tired too of waiting my whole life, it is or should be our turn now. The baby boom generation has had one President...Clinton, I don't count chimp because he is like some throw back to a long ago time period. While the "greatest generation" still has breath in their bodies they will hang on and we will be 80 or 90 ourselves before we have real control of our own destinies. :argh: :-(

[Khephra]

9. And then there's us Gen-Xers

We should be in the position that you are in now. That's why I believe that the most effective groups in the political circles recently have been NEW organizations. It might just be that every generation has to do just that--start from the ground up again.

That's one reason the Left is more powerful than the Right--they get the kids involved asap. They reach out to the younger generations, put them in postions of power, and get them involved before they can think of another (liberal) way to live.

[catzies]

3. I'm 41, politically active in several local groups and I'm always

ONE OF THE YOUNGEST PEOPLE IN THE ROOM!

Get involved -- the world is run by those who show up!

How many here go to their City Council meetings? Know who are on your school boards? Belong to their county's central committee or party clubs?

I think this article speaks the truth as I see it around me.

[Mr.Green93]

10. the world is run by those who show up!

good point.

[FloridaPat]

4. She's wrong. I'm only 29. I've been fighting the government

since I was in college in the 60's And believe me, it will continue. As for the math - this is my math: current year minus birth year equals 29. Why should I limit things based on age. If I acted my "age". I'd just do a little gardening and watch TV. Not much fun

[Leados]

7. I'm 21

for real, and the Generations are quite interesting, but since I'm on a cusp between two of them, it'll probably suck for people my age in the long run.

[Mari333]

11. I joined the Gray Panthers a while back

and since I have been gray since I was 40, and now Im 52, I should get more involved . There is a rebelliosness amongst baby boomers that we wont take on the same behaviours that our parents did, merely because they were and often still are tied to the era of the 50s, a racist misogynistic conundrum of blechhhh. Nor do we want to consider ageing as a time when we should put on pastel dresses and pearls as my grandmother did, and sit about pining for our kids to come home and take care of us..if anything, many boomers I know refuse to become what society demanded at one time. I, for one, wont allow ageism to diminish who I am by stereotyping me into some role I have to play. Maggie Kuhn was a person to aspire to be, as is grannyd www.grannyd.com
and I threw my AARP membership back in the face of the GOPAARP...they can kiss my ass.
In the meantime, I will get old with an attitude and keep fighting back. I know Ill die someday, but Ill fight back against the corporate bastards til the day I die.