“The years teach much which the days never know.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

In many cultures around the world, cultures far older than what we have here in the United States, elders are held in high regard. Their experience and knowledge serve to guide those less experienced as they grow into their roles as leaders and teachers.

It seems our fashionable, youth-oriented culture in the U.S. missed the memo. Worse, our mainstream news media with its tendency toward constant replay goes along to get along, thus reinforcing youth culture’s failure to grasp what ancient cultures knew all along.

The more progressive or thoughtful among us, while quick to point out racism, sexism or other gender inequalities, appear to have overlooked ageism as another form of oppression. During the current presidential cycle, most likely between two older men, issues of age-related capabilities have arisen in the media and elsewhere focusing mostly on the slightly older but more articulate candidate, President Joe Biden.

The president has had his share of memory lapses and gaffes in his speeches and comments over time, but his opponent has gone far beyond mere forgetfulness into outright incoherence. The news media, for the most part, has chosen to focus on the few years older president rather than an opponent who actually acts unhinged. It’s called ageism and it threatens the future of our democratic republic.

My advice to the mainstream news media is to immediately balance the scales before history condemns them for contributing to the end of the republic, because that is what the other candidate has called for.

Don Ogden

Florence