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In Eskimo culture, old people did their families a favor by wandering off into the wilderness where they’d simply lie down and freeze to death. In more advanced civilizations, especially ancient ones, families revered and respected their elders and this characterizes the indigenous black tradition in America. Blacks love their “Madeas”, So it is a little curious that the ageists on this board regard older people with disdain I suspect they would claim that it’s me who they dislike, and the fact that I am 82 years old provides them with another weapon to try and punish me for not looking upon them with awe. So they conjure up all kinds of things about me. (I am not feeble, I was married for 50 years to the late love of my life, I have 5 kids, 8 grandkids and 4 great grand ones, all of whom keep me up to date on what’s going on in all age brackets, plus I read and observe what’s going on around me.) This seems to repel those who want me to stay in my place and not conjure up things about them. However, i can't help but observe how these newly-arrived didactic pedants aspire to elitism. They think their degrees and academic credentials absolve them from having good character and integrity, while endowing them with the privilege of using superficial standards by which to judge others; they are supercilious prigs who look down on anyone who they don’t regard as their peer. They are as flawed as I am. Yes, I am a jaded, sarcastic contrarian but I always give credit where credit is due. Which brings us to the reason I have come to appreciate people like Troy and Chris, guys who came up the hard way but managed to obtain multiple degrees and run successful businesses yet didn’t let this go to their heads or rob them of their common touch. And worldly guys like Pioneer who has educated himself, acquiring knowledge through experience, and those like the delightfully eccentric Delano and the ever-vigilant social critic, Harry Brown, both of whom bring a different flavor to the board. Mel and Shirley are also smart engaging women. Or is any of this to say that I don’t appreciate wry humor, or that I don’t find some merit in a tongue-in-cheek tease like Celestial Grateness or sara's need to force feed us with what she thinks we should be hungry for. People are, who they are. Let’s hear it for diversity! Me, I’m content to still be alive. I don’t give a fuck about my “young” detractors. After all, in this youth- obsessed society, I outlived Prince and Michael and Whitney.

We, as a society, don't respect elders because we are becoming increasingly ignorant. Simply put, it is ignorance that causes us not to revere our elders. When we look at the origin of the word ignorant, notice the root word ignore - from Merriam-Webster Latin ignorare, from ignarus ignorant, unknown, from in- +gnoscere, noscere to know While "ignore" is now considered "obsolete" for defining ignorance we still see it's apropos in describing our behavior towards the elderly today. Further, words like unknown and not knowing screams of our society's current status. Therefore, our disrespect and lack of appreciation of the elderly is just one of the symptoms of our society's socially-constructed hubris. Some call it "dumbing down of America” which I define as having population that is unaware of what they don't know .Unfortunately, in every scenario 'hubris' ultimately leads to failure; especially when you only possess facts but don't know how to use those facts. Knowledge is not power but use of knowledge equals wisdom. An ignorant population, however, is easy to control. So, it makes sense to hide or ignore the elderly. The elderly are usually wise. Yes, they know facts but they also know how to put those facts into use. Unfortunately many of us don't recognize information when it is put into use. We may dismiss Big Mama's or Pop-Pop's wisdom when it comes in a form of apologue. Now for some reason, those who are successful no matter what age; is always a stone's throw from someone who is way beyond the retirement age. Case-in-point, check out the board of directors on any fortune 100 company. While they may not make the day-to-day operations decisions, they're there to guide the company. Heck Sumner Redstone CBS Network chairman just stepped down from The Tiffany network (and not without a fight) and he is 92 years old!

Cynique, I don't want to get into this fray. I have too much on my plate as it is. But I want you to know from my heart that I truly love you and totally respect your years and the wisdom that comes from those years. I knew from day one that you would challenge me. Sometimes, It made me angry,but most times it made me think. The thinking part is what allowed me to grow. Keep being the beautiful lady of wisdom that has allowed your strong mind to continue on. There is so much truth in the words that you speak! Keep living and keep it moving sista girl. Shirley

Black Pack Party 10th Anniversary Celebration We are hosting the 10th Anniversary Black Pack Party on the evening of Wednesday, May 11th. It is shaping up to be a wonderful celebration and we are looking forward to seeing you there! Venue: Norman’s Bistro Address: 1001 E 43rd St, Chicago, IL 60653 Phone: (773) 966-5821 Date: May 11, 2016 Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9 p.m. More Info: http://aalbc.it/bpp2016 Hash Tag: #blackpackparty #BlackPackParty Tweets The 2016 Black Pack Party co-sponsors are, AALBC.com, The African American Children’s Book Project, The Chicago Defender, Linda Duggins, Mosaic, Say It Loud! Readers & Writers, and Written Magazine.

Mel Merriam Webster is my favorite dictionary after the Oxford English dictionary. Although sometimes the Oxford definition can be very long. Like your post Shirley Thinking is difficult. I define thing as. Original thought not just trusting old memories. Congratulations.

Cynique Getting less linear

　 C G Cynique is another one I'm working on. So I hope she doesn't end up "liking" you too much either.....lol. Infact, she's half-way civilized already. Either that, or doesn't have the energy to raise too much hell anymore. Once I get her and Sara tamed and under my firm control, I'm gonna drive them to a state where polygamy has been de-criminalized, find a cheap motel at a weekly rate, and make them both my common law wives....lol. You stole a bit of my thunder as I was actually going to point out many of the reasons you listed. A lot of young Black people have a subconscious feeling of disappointment and resentment toward older Blacks and especially those of the post Depression baby-boom era whom they felt left them a fucked up society to live in. A lot of young Black men hate older Black men as they remind them of their father who abandoned them. If they aren't being poisoned by their own mother from her negative descriptions of their father.....the seemingly indifferent behavior and concern so many Black man have toward their own children has inject hatred into the hearts of many young Black men for other Black men whom they can't trust. Also, through out history the elders have always maintained most of their respect by being able to pass along important wisdom and survival skills to the next generation. The young man respected the old man..not because of his strength...but because of what he could teach him as far as how to fight, how to get women, how to make money, ect... Many of the older generation of Black men not only DON'T have the knoweldge of how to secure these things for themselves let alone teach the younger men.....but in many cases those who CO know are actually COMPETING with the younger males for money and women. Which the younger generation of men often find frustrating and offensive. 　 I also do not understand why Black people vote democrat and do not make specific demands of them in specifically helping Black people! Jews do it! Gays do it! Muslims do it! Hispanics do it! White women do it! If democrats do not support those particular group's specific issues, those groups will not for democrats. When the few Blacks have made demands as a condition for a vote for Democrats, white racist democrats respond: "We cannot help just Blaaaacks. We have to help everybody!" Hence, with a foolish humanitarian outlook, Blacks give their votes away to the democrat party in hopes that the democrats' helping the "whole" will result in individual people, including Blacks, to benefit; and, again, Blacks get the shortest end of the stick. Shameful! Absolutely and utterly embarrassing! It "remarks" of low intelligence! It's interesting that you should say that because I had a similar exchange with Troy about Blacks not presenting Obama with an actual AGENDA during his first 90 days in office in this very thread: http://aalbc.com/tc/topic/3746-michael-eric-dyson-goes-off-on-president-obama/?page=1 I didn't say they should have present him with a bunch of goddam IDEAS and SUGGESTIONS..... I said we should have sat down amongs ourselves and formulated a well thought out AGENDA that outlines what we expect for him after helping to put him in as well as the CONSEQUENCES that would occur if we didn't see any effort on his part towards implementing them.. Infact, a portion of it should have been presented to him or whoever the potential nominee was before they even received the Democratic nomination. Perhaps the same should have been done for the Republicans also. Fredrick Douglass said the power concedes nothing without a demand. Even the older Civil Rights generation realized that they had to continually march, fight, and DEMAND justice and that the laws of the land be changed. Simply begging and crying and expressing one's disappointment over being ignored didn't work THEN and certainly doesn't work TODAY. Perhaps that's why the generation of Black youth in their teens and early twenties have taken back to the streets to raise hell and demand justice picking up whether their grand and great grandparents left off.

Wait for 'em..........because they're coming.....lol ((shakes head)) Cynique That was a detailed and touching response, but it doesn't TOUCH the actual question...lol. I still didn't see an answer as to why there seems to be less respect and appreciation for our elders TODAY than in the past. Or perhaps I'm wrong in assuming that you even feel this way. I know I do. I'm not talking about your rounds with members of this board (although it influenced the question) but society in general and the overall lack of reverence for the older generation whether it's in the form of assaulting seniors on the street, financial scams that target the elderly, or even politicians who unabashedly cut social security and medicare funding and other programs that toss thousands of seniors out on the street. It just seems like being and elder doesn't carry the same weight or reverence it did say even 30 years ago let alone 50.

The US is a tough culture. No we are becoming a baby culture. I look forward to hearing your response Yes I miss her too. But you my may need a more appetising question to draw her back.