Senior Citizens Are People, Too!

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I recently came across an internet meme this week that basically said that if you are over 65, you should no longer be allowed to vote — simply because it won’t be your future you are voting for. This is preposterous! I am hoping that this was just one of those things that goes around the internet simply because it is so cringe worthy that some people think it’s entertaining.

However, a part of me is skeptical. I have seen a lot of discrimination and criticism over the years towards older people, so it wouldn’t surprise me if there are actually plenty of people who believe such nonsense. I may only be 36 now, but one day, in the not so distant future, I will be over 65, too. And so will these critics (if they are so blessed).

So, am I to believe that just because a person becomes a senior citizen, he or she suddenly has no life? No future? No worth? People are actually living longer and longer these days. I, for one, have many friends and relatives who are well over 65. And I love and cherish each and every one of them.

These friends and family members don’t have useless lives. Their days aren’t spent locked up, dwindling away, and waiting for death. On the contrary, they live active and purposeful lives. They may be a bit slower now and a little worn around the edges. But they are still people. They still have so much to offer this world. They still have hopes and dreams. They still want to help others and to make this world a better place.

It is ridiculous and reprehensible to think that some people believe individuals could outgrow their fundamental rights as American citizens and as human beings. Just because someone is more advanced in age than another, it doesn’t mean that his or her life is less valuable. What has happened to respecting our elders and seeking their wisdom? Have we grown that ignorant and lost as a nation that we are beginning to forget how valuable and irreplaceable our elders truly are? I shudder at the thought! We need some serious help as a society if we continue down this treacherous and dark path.

 

© 2020 Amanda R. Dollak

Wal-Mart Employee Mistreatment Stories

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I am well aware of how littered the internet has become with lies, half-truths, far-fetched stories, and misunderstandings. People spread things as quickly as a wildfire, but unfortunately, the truth doesn’t always travel at such lightning speeds. Far too often, we see something that interests, angers, and inspires us, and we are quick to pass it on with little to no thought of its source or authenticity.

Overall, I consider myself a cyber skeptic. If something seems off, I am quick to research it. And I never jump on a bandwagon unless I get a little background information first. However, despite my usual skepticism, I read some comments on Facebook today that rubbed me the wrong way.

I saw a story in my Facebook newsfeed about a woman working at a Wal-mart in California. She is disappointed (at least according to the article) because President Obama is coming to visit her particular store, but she actually have the opportunity to personally speak with him. She is upset because she won’t be able to discuss with him the deplorable conditions she must live in due to how Wal-mart treats her. She claims she is sleeping on her son’s floor, eating meals worse than a bachelor college student, and desperately needing medical care for possible cancer.

Now, I, just like some of the rude commenters, don’t always immediately believe these sad testimonials floating around cyberspace. The internet is the breeding ground of hoaxes, fantasies, and tall-tale fiction. Heck, anyone with a computer or mobile device and an internet connection can spread any stories they wish. It’s okay–no, great–to want to take everything you read with a grain of salt and wise to check for verification first. But the comments section quickly got way out of hand quickly. It progressed from healthy skepticism to downright cruel trolling. I was actually shocked at some of the comments, particularly since it isn’t far-fetched to think this could be a plausible story.

One part that irked me a lot was that some of these commenters were claiming this story couldn’t be real because it is far too similar to other Wal-mart stories circulating online. They insisted that this–along with the others–are simply sob stories, cries for attention, or even mere hoaxes because who stays at their job under those conditions anyway? Some even resorted to victim blaming. The gist was if the woman’s claims are true, it is her fault for putting up with it. She only has herself to blame.

Well, to all of those who are far too quick to judge, welcome to a day in the life of the working poor. I was born and raised in a working poor family. My father worked two jobs and my mom worked when her health allowed her. Yet, we often didn’t have enough food, clothing, or money for utilities and rent. And even now my husband and I struggle to keep our family afloat now that his job’s pay and hours were cut back to only 20 hours a week at $10.00 an hour. I know from personal experience and legitimate research that stories like these are rampant in the United States. So, their arrogant dismissal of “too similar” “sob” stories does not compute. It happens every day and in every state regardless of whether or not people feel it does.

Oh, but what about finding another, better job? Well, we, the working poor, are always trying to move up in life. We put in a ton of applications. We constantly ask around for and seek job openings. We learn new things and try to expand our potential. We are forever looking for new ways to make ourselves more appealing as a potential employee. However, those “better” jobs society so quickly throws in our faces happen to be hard to come by. Otherwise, the crappy jobs we are currently stuck in wouldn’t be so full of those “sob” stories these skeptics so abhor.

Why don’t internet trolls chew on those bones before they hound and belittle another member of the working poor? Maybe then they might understand that people like this Walmart employee usually don’t want a pity party. Rather, they simply want fair treatment and better potential opportunities for their dedication and hard work–basic things the average person seeks.

 

© 2014 Amanda R. Dollak