General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Why is ageism suddenly all the rage on DU? [View all]LWolf
(46,179 posts)it's usually because some Democrat is being criticized in a big way, here or out in the real world, valid or not. I can't speak to this one, because I've been working long hours and haven't read much here the last month or so.
As an "older" person, though, I have to disagree with some of what you wrote. People around my age are often MORE progressive than young people. We were there for the civil rights movement. We were there for so much big social change, and we saw our leaders dying. It's true that it was harder for the gay population to be "out," and that marriage WAS out, but that doesn't mean we weren't there supporting our gay brothers and sisters. My straight mom had a good friend who was a lesbian; we spent our family gatherings together, we called her my adopted "aunt," and she often picked me up and whisked me off for the day or the weekend, getting her "kid" fix, because she never expected to have any of her own. I know the struggles she went through, and why. She died a suicide, unable to reconcile her life and her identity with what society thought about her. I've grieved for her for 4 decades now. I'm obviously not part of your percentage of older people who are afraid of homosexuality, and neither is my mom, who was born in 1938. My straight son got his ridiculous "ordination" from the "universal life" something or other so that he could perform marriages for his friends, and he has regularly done so for 10 years. For his straight and his gay friends, whether their unions were legally recognized or not.
While young people overwhelmingly supported Obama and helped elect him, I never wanted to see him become president. Not because he's black; my black nieces understand this. Because he's not progressive enough for this older woman.
I do agree with, and support, your last paragraph. I just have to point out that many of the civil liberties that have been eroded during the lifetime of younger people were fought for, and won, by their elders. And, of course, I have to point this out: