The Elderly and Retired; Thoughts from Final Notice
- kfwilson6
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Re: The Elderly and Retired; Thoughts from Final Notice
Such a true point about "exceeded their usefulness". How much of human interaction is what someone can do for you? And it really makes you wonder if these people have any compassion for even their own grandparents. If someone really wants to look at it in terms of usefulness, consider what they have contributed to society in their lifetime and what a 30 year old has contributed in his. I bet there is a very wide margin there, but there is no appreciation for what has already happened. It's one thing to be critical of the unemployed, single, childless person who is primarily supported by the government because he doesn't bother to change his situation. It's quite another thing to be critical of someone whose physical condition does not allow them to do something.P0tt3ry wrote: ↑04 Mar 2018, 10:20 I was just reading about this legal form of elder abuse also, maybe it was the same article in the Smithsonian. The book does portray our society's attitude toward the elderly pretty accurately. Our seniors are, for the most part, treated has having exceeded their usefulness. Being marginalized and treated as a burden, is it any wonder Vince became frustrated and angry enough to snap?
Hopefully at least those who read this book will be more cognizant of their behavior and attitude towards those who are doing everything they can for themselves and don't see it as "not enough".
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One thing I have noticed, too, is that with the existence of home aides and senior living centers, families are placing their elderly parents in these types of facilities/caregivers. And some of the aides are more family then the actual family who write their elderly parents off bc they are too busy. So it's not just society but stems from immediate family as well. If your own child doesn't bother to visit you but pays how much money to have an aide living with you, and you find out they are taking vacations, etc. wouldn't you feel frustrated and angry?P0tt3ry wrote: ↑04 Mar 2018, 10:20 I was just reading about this legal form of elder abuse also, maybe it was the same article in the Smithsonian. The book does portray our society's attitude toward the elderly pretty accurately. Our seniors are, for the most part, treated has having exceeded their usefulness. Being marginalized and treated as a burden, is it any wonder Vince became frustrated and angry enough to snap?
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I have to agree with you on the way the book points out how the NRA targets senior citizens. I'm sure the media doesn't help either. I mean, look at the knock-out game that occurred a couple of years ago. Kids walking around and blatantly punching people in the head to knock them out. Granted, it wasn't just seniors but mothers and young kids. But still, there is a feeling of loss of control and it is dangerous when the NRA uses this to market to people. But there has to be a discussion on why crimes aren't being punished the way they should. It's a two-fold problem but neither side should be using it to sell weapons. The discussion should be on how to stop the violence occurring, not add to it.Haute_Coffee wrote: ↑05 Mar 2018, 09:00 The idea of the senior citizens being targeted by the NRA is the point of the book that had me thinking the most. The NRA is in the business of selling guns and they specifically manipulated a group in society that is made to feel powerless. They are made to feel redundant, they are being pushed around (literally, as Vince talks about early in the novel). The NRA targets the feeling that they have lost control and offers them gun ownership as a way of getting their power back. They give seniors who might feel confused or intimidated in public a way of feeling strong and protecting themselves.
I think right now, especially there is such a huge gap between senior citizens and young people due to technology. It is easy for an older person to feel the world doesn't belong to them anymore.
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It was a bit disturbing that Vince needed to have a gun in his hand to intimidate the two men at the end. There was a general theme throughout about the elderly needing some artificial means to protect themselves ... otherwise no one would protect them.
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So, so true! Without a change of heart, no meaningful change is going to happen - those may be the wisest words I'll read on here all day. I too am a Christian and echo your sentiments.DancingLady wrote: ↑02 Mar 2018, 10:41 I think the number one reason is because society has pushed God out, therefore “honor your father and mother” has ceased to be a command. Without God as the ultimate authority, the individual becomes his own authority and that leads immediately to an extremely self centered world view where people only see others for what they can get from them. When a person is old and can not contribute the kind of things they used to, the self centered person no longer has much interest in the old. So much wisdom and insight is lost by neglecting the elderly, but when the (adult) children are focused only on themselves, wisdom is not even on the radar. I’m seeing this novel in part as a commentary on secularism and a projection of one of its impending consequences. As a Christian I see Jesus as the only solution because no matter what we do through legislation, only Jesus can change the heart of man, and without a change of heart, no meaningful change is going to happen.
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In some ways, yes. We as a culture fetishize youth, and therefore reject aging. We also have an obsession with upgrading, even things that are perfectly functional. It is a status symbol to have the new thing, so the old is discarded. Obviously it is not as simple as that, but it seems to have a connection.
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