I was in the local CVS a bit ago, choosing a birthday card for a friend. It struck me then how odd some thinking is on bias and being politically correct. There were special sections for greeting cards on "aging."
Yes, I buy these; some of them are darn funny. But what would society think about a section for "Because you're a Different Color!" or "Sympathies on the Birth of a Girl?" We won't even consider physical conditions and such–though there are some funny ones in the Get Well department.
Why is it okay to make fun of old people? Don't get me wrong–I'm a believer in people having the right to laugh at whatever tickles their funnybone whether I think it's funny or even if I think it's downright mean. I simply don't laugh because it doesn't stir me. And if someone present has their feelings hurt, I'll surely come to their defense against the rudeness.
It's going to be a long while before we aren't allowed to laugh at old age anymore (thank God!). It won't happen in my lifetime since I'm a part of the Baby Boomer generation and that'll never qualify us for a minority position to have someone take up our cause. I'm guessing it'll be the hardened by paying out Social Security taxes and getting the short end of the stick Generation X. I'm sure they'll be grumpy by then.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology