Posted by PJ under aging, power, war
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Sometimes older women in the workforce are told by younger ambitious women to get out of the way and let the young women have a shot. Perhaps older men are told this, too, but I can’t speak to their experience. The heartbreaking thing about this is that it doesn’t just happen in the hallways of power. All my life I’ve been working class, struggling to get by the best I could, but I’ve had this said to me. And female friends of mine who are in the hallways of power have also had it said to them. Ageism is as insidious as sexism, but I have to tell you, hearing this crap from your same sex has a real double sting.
Thankfully, for many reasons, I have left the workforce, but ageism continues apace.
Now, ageism is wrong no matter which direction it’s going. Older people trashing younger people is just as wrong, and I’ve heard that, too. Often, it’s from people of a certain level of affluence trashing younger people who they don’t think are doing things “the right way.†Back in the olden days this was referred to as The Generation Gap—and yes, I was once young and criticized by members of the Greatest Generation for not doing things the way they thought I should. But as Judith Tarr recently pointed out eloquently on Twitter, this has always been about power, not the inherent goodness or wrongness of a certain generation. Stoking the flames of generational warfare has always been a tactic of those in power who want to keep us bickering about shit like this so they can keep on doing their real nasty deeds without interference. As Ms. Tarr pointed out, “It’s never the age, children. It’s rich vs poor. The rich want to rob us and roll us and dump us to starve. Always did. Always will….Your kids are going to say the same exact things about you.â€
If the older woman in question doesn’t choose to consign herself to the ash heap of history, she is sometimes accused of being greedy. But everyone deserves their shot, older people, younger people, of being a constructive member of society. You’re not wasting air and/or resources if you are still trying hard to give something back.
So listen up: I’m trying hard. And I will not get out of the way. You shouldn’t, either, no matter what your age.
