Qualifiers

I think we need to be careful about the way we label ourselves and others – what qualifiers we give ourselves: whether we are heroes, victims, saints or villains and the way we boast and glorify our accomplishments, virtues and intellect. If extreme terms are used too liberally, they lose their effect. If everybody is a victim, nobody is a victim. If everybody is a hero, nobody can rightfully receive that honor. If everybody is a genius, nobody is. If everybody is exceptional, than nobody is and if everyone you are at odds with is a villain, than real villains cease to exist. 

Words are important and language is the instrument we use to communicate. The use of proper and accurate descriptors is an important skill that can be powerful, but if misused and abused too often has the effect of rendering even the most potent terms to be meaningless. As an example, we’ve heard the word “awesome” used so many times to describe so many ordinary things, that nothing we call “awesome” is extraordinary anymore. 

Shameful Treatment of the Elderly

I've seen a lot in the news and social media disparaging certain demographics - ironically, usually by those who claim to be more accepting of diversity and tolerance. The ones the bother me most are the mean and spiteful comments about those who are of the older generations. Yeah, let's throw our elderly under the bus because they are no longer useful to us.

I have a lot of grave concerns about this ideology. The first thing that hits me is that this is a personal attack. I wouldn't consider myself elderly (yet), however I am officially a "senior" in many regards - I can now order from the back page on the Denny's menu.

While it is true that we degrade physically and mentally as we advance in our years, that doesn't mean that we have outlived our usefulness. To the contrary. I would like to challenge those of the younger generations to take some time and sit down with retirees and learn something about their lives. Learn something about how they made it through troubled times. Many of them are survivors of the Great Depression, World War II and through other struggles that you may never have even heard about. Things were a lot different back then and the challenges in life they had to navigate were of a completely different caliber.

I'm one of those who didn't grow up relying on technology, but later adapted and adopted. I am intimately familiar with both ways of life. I have become immersed in modern technology - even more advanced than what many of the younger generations enjoy and are capable of - but I also know how to survive without it. One of my concerns is that many children in the younger generations are too reliant upon technology (particularly artificial intelligence) and don't know how to manage life. They haven't learned (haven't needed to learn) life skills that are necessary for surviving... and thriving in this harsh and unforgiving world. It goes way beyond the ability to earn money.

When I was a young adult, I also thought that I was more clever than those who were older than me. Now I look back in embarrassment on how foolish I was to think that way. I think every generation goes through this. We learn a few modern concepts or how to work with technology that didn't exist when our forebears were our age, so we assume that the older generation is "behind the times" and their methods are "obsolete" or "irrelevant." Nothing could be further from the truth. What is most disturbing is that this falsehood is promulgated by what are considered to be "reputable" sources, whereas in the time when I was a young adult, if we dared to publicly talk that way about "old" people, we would be put in our place - appropriately.

There are stereotypes about every demographic. These are unfair and do not represent actual facts or apply to every person within the demographic being satirized. The interesting thing is that for most of these stereotypes, it is not ethical (according to societal standards) to uphold stereotypes - except for a few. At present time, the stereotype of what is supposed to represent what an "old" person is like is accepted in the culture of "Political Correctness" and very few dare to challenge that culture. Add one of a few other demographic qualifiers (for instance: white, male, Christian, or conservative) and the stereotype is intensified exponentially - so much so, that any one of us who belongs to this demographic is not only expected to be snubbed by the aforementioned PC culture, but we are also vilified. What a horrible way to treat a human being!

It is fair to say that there are a number of people in ANY categorized demographic that fit the full bill of their stereotype, in an almost comedic manner. In fact, there are many cartoons, comic strips and sketches that take full advantage of the natural comedy in such demographic stereotypes. Right or wrong, some of these are funny. The old man yelling "Get of my lawn!" is a familiar trope that most of us might laugh at. Other demographic stereotypes, we are told, are not funny and if we laugh, we are complicit in bigotry - thus, Political Correctness, by nature is hypocritical and belongs in its own demographic category... worthy of comedic scorn.

That being said, there are also MANY who belong to every categorized demographic who are uncharacteristic of their stereotype and it's unfair and unethical to prejudge them. I'm also talking about older generations, or maybe I should bring this back to the original crux of this post: disparaging of the elderly. While there are many older people who are crotchety and fail to adapt to technology and modern societal conventions, these are not everybody. Keep in mind, there are also some in younger generations who are angry or who don't fit into society or don't understand technology.

The thing that I'm getting at is that there are many kind, wise and knowledgeable people who are advanced in their years. Some have even kept up rather well with technology and current events. Many older folks are still sharp as a whip and by staying current in their learning, they have seen and experienced MUCH MORE than someone who has only been on this planet for a fraction of their age. This gives them a great advantage, because they understand how to avoid many pitfalls in life and they know how to navigate around life situations that happen over and over and over again. They observe the follies of youth and could help those faced with similar situations... if only they'd listen and if only they didn't think they already know it all. We can learn a lot from the elderly portion of our population. Sure, there are a lot of concepts that are now irrelevant because times have changed, but we can still adapt and apply the principles and tailor them to our own conditions. The elderly are an asset to us that we shouldn't overlook and we certainly shouldn't discard or discredit.

Finally, if nothing else, this should emphasize that we should do everything in our power to reverse the course of divisiveness, especially when the divisions are based upon artificial qualifiers. If we are going to be divisive in any way, let's make a division between good and evil - not in the imagined, stereotypical, or lockstep narratives of a particular partisan political or social narrative, but only those people or ideals that are truly have been found guilty of evil acts or have a propensity to do so. And even then, a decent person need only look at evil and proclaim: "I will not partake" and that should be sufficient.

Our Future... Our Children's Future

If nothing else, the events our attention have been focused on in the past few weeks are hopefully a wakeup call. The decisions we've made, the character and reputation we build for ourselves and the friends we hang out with have a profound effect on our future, whether we want to acknowledge it at the time or not.

Having lived in a college town that has a reputation for being at the top of the list for drugs, alcohol and partying, I've seen a lot and I continue to be surrounded by college students who hope to have professional careers someday. Seeing how some students behave and the image they create about themselves, I have a hard time fathoming how some can even remotely expect to be successful doctors, lawyers, professors, politicians or in any other field where decency and proper decorum are necessary.

I understand that not everybody wants to follow the path that leads to a professional career or that of a high-profile public official. That's ok. We shouldn't all be expected to aspire to those positions. However... If a person, somewhere in the back of his/her mind even has the remote inkling of a notion to ever be in the public's eye, they must expect that every embarrassing misdeed they've ever done in their past (and even things they haven't done) are going to be thrust into the public arena for all the world to see. They're going to be hated by some, and they're going to be revered by others. They're going to receive nasty messages and maybe even death threats for what they stand for.

We should expect this treatment of any public official from now on. We can't recklessly set venomous precedence and somehow expect that the course will magically be reversed. There is no antidote. To expect that exculpation or redemption is possible after episodes of gratuitous reveling and living a carefree lifestyle is possible is delusional. The public does not forgive and the Internet does not forget. Accusers, even those you never recall ever knowing or even meeting before will come out of the woodwork to crucify you - all in the guise of "social justice."

Suffice it to say that to anyone who ever plans to have a successful career (other than in menial or manual labor) - that the eyes of the world are upon you and you WILL be harshly judged by your acts, demeanor and the image you portray, and even the foolish things you did in your youth WILL eventually come back to haunt you. It would behoove any child with ambitions for greatness that it isn't enough to just develop the necessary skills and get the exemplary grades and put the hours into extracurricular activities to pad a résumé. Nope, you're going to have to be squeaky clean and be able to demonstrate to the world that you're better than all the people who are casting judgment upon you. You're going to have to have to leave the impression that it is not even within your nature to commit a transgression of any nature or even slip up due to a lack of judgment. Ever.

For all those whose words have been harsh and whose speculation exceeds the parameters of fact, who are so determined to slaughter the character of public officials (and even those they claim to be friends with on social media) they don't like or agree with, I say: Go ahead cast the first stone.