Ageism and its Discontents

Ageism is stereotyping and discriminating against individuals or groups on the basis of their age.

There is a good quote from the Omen 3 where the antichrist Damien Thorn talks about society’s disenfranchisement of young people.  Ageism doesn’t end when one turns thirty.  I am well into my thirties and still experience ageism.  Seniors experience ageism as well.  This leads me to ask, “How old does one have to be for their opinion to actually matter?”  It seems like there is a 10-15 year window between the time one is 40-60 years old and that is it. 

On young people:

“I mean, what is this arrogance that makes us
think that we know better than them?
We call them immature and naive. "Wait till
you're grown-up. Then we'll listen to you."
What we really mean is "Wait till you've
grown old. Then you'll think the way we do."
And so youth stands aside because
it has no other choice, and we set to work.
We ply them with our values,
we indoctrinate them with our mediocrity.
Until finally they emerge from
their brainwashing education
as so-called fully fledged citizens,
clipped, impotent, and above all safe.”