Ageism from U.S. Leadership is Unacceptable

May 26, 2012 - PRLog -- (Washington, D.C.) The Gray Panthers is appalled that a man that President Obama has consulted with on deficit issues, Social Security, and Medicare would find it acceptable to include phrases like “a wretched group of seniors,” “greedy geezers like you” and “your nefarious bunch of crap” in a letter on United States Senate stationery. Former Senator Alan Simpson did so in his recent letter to the California Alliance of Retired Americans (CARA). The Gray Panthers, an intergenerational organization that often collaborates with CARA, is outraged at Alan Simpson’s hostile and offensive message and will not tolerate ageism within the corridors of power. The Gray Panthers calls on Washington leadership to repudiate the words of Alan Simpson and denounce him as an advisor on issues related to deficit reduction, especially those impacting older adults and future generations.

The Gray Panthers was founded in 1970 in response to ageism at a time when old people were relegated to obscurity. The organization has worked over the years to combat ageism and promote justice. The country has come a long way since 1970, but Mr. Simpson evidences the pervasiveness of ageism through his derisive comments to CARA. In a gut check moment upon reading the letter, Judy Lear, age 69 and National Chair of Gray Panthers, responded, “What a horrible, rude letter!” She followed with, “This vile letter about older people and Social Security and Medicare must be challenged.” The Gray Panthers will not tolerate derogatory language, demeaning stereotypes, and ignorant dismissal of Americans working for fair and sensible policy solutions. Neither should United States leadership.

Mr. Simpson in further unseemly and degrading language said, “If you can’t understand all of this you need a pane of glass in your naval [sic] so you can see out during the day.”His suggestion that his deficit commission report is either misunderstood or unread is inaccurate. The Gray Panthers has read the report and understands its recommendations. It simply disagrees as noted by Brooke Hollister, PhD, age 30, Professor and Vice Chair of the Gray Panthers National Board, “The Gray Panthers is an intergenerational social and economic justice organization fighting for the economic security of future generations! Any changes to Social Security and Medicare will impact future more than current retirees. Greedy politicians seems more fitting here than greedy geezers! Any undergraduate health policy student could easily see through the ideologically infused recommendations in the report. He recommends raising the retirement age to 69 by 2075, which means my generation would have to work longer and take a huge cut to the Social Security benefits that we have earned. Social Security doesn’t contribute a dime to the deficit! This man doesn’t stop with the elderly though; his plan proposes establishing co-pays in the VA system! How can he propose to balance the budget on the backs of the soldiers that were injured or maimed in the unfunded wars that created the deficit in the first place?! This man should not have a voice in politics or anywhere else; he should be ignored into obsolescence.”

In protest to Mr. Simpson’s tirade, the Gray Panthers has sent out a call to action to demand that President and Congress denounce the words of former Senator Simpson, never again allow him to serve in an advisory role, especially on policy related to Social Security, Medicare, and the elderly he so despises. The Gray Panthers ask the White House to repudiate all Social Security and Medicare recommendations of the Simpson Bowles Deficit Commission report because they are based in ageist attitudes, gross disrespect for older persons and unsound public policy.

For more information or to take action, see Gray Panthers website: www.graypanthers.org or contact Judy Lear, National Chair, Gray Panthers at judylear@graypanthers.org or 202-737-6637, ext. 28.