“Younger people (say under 60) should be allowed to cast more votes during elections, because they have much more at stake than someone who is already retired. And older voters (say over 60) should accept that the views of younger citizens should have priority over their own”.
What is your opinion of this statement in the Sydney Morning Herald (7 July) by Dr Piero Moraro, a lecturer in justice studies at Charles Sturt University (QLD)?
I read this and came to the immediate conclusion that, being over 60, I no longer have value to society – I don’t matter anymore. Given the average length of life now approaches 85, I guess I should regard the next 35 years as a wasteland – certainly in Dr Moraro’s eyes.
What his comments also tell me is that my 60-plus years have made me totally self-centred with no wisdom. I have no concern for the plight of ‘younger people’. This is intriguing when I think of the most important thing in my life – my family – and the ‘investment’ and sacrifices my wife and I have made to give our two children the best start in life.
And may I add, I hope, the most balanced and charitable view of life. “Treat others as you would yourself” – younger people and older people.
Dr Moraro writes: “Younger voters are less concerned with “economic management, superannuation, border protection, and interested in rising university fees, job security, unaffordable housing”.
Guess what Doctor? Younger people should be interested in economic management because strong economies create income that pays for universities – which employ you – and create jobs that are stable.
Superannuation pays for we old people to retire – as you say – so we are not moving in with the younger people or requiring Government to pay even more in pensions.
Border protection, brutal at times as it is, protects younger people from the massive cost of supporting large numbers of people into our communities. And by the way, desperate refugees have shown us they will work many times harder than younger Australians, taking their jobs, making profits, paying for universities.
Also Dr Moraro, who do you think provides free housing, food, clothing, transport, money for books etc. for university, TAFE and other students – making it ‘university’ more affordable? We older people.
Who gives their kids cash for deposits and goes guarantor on mortgages to get them started in housing – which usually means these benefactors have to work longer to fund this largesse? Yep, it’s we worthless older people.
You are the university lecturer. Why aren’t you championing younger people to get out and earn the political credit you want them to have rather than just hand it to them?
There is a model to do this you know. It is called the Vietnam War and the Whitlam Era – when ‘younger’ people of the day really discussed issues (before the ease of social media) and got off their backsides and ‘marched’.
Gee, I just realised, that was us, the ‘older’ people.
Discussion1 Comment
I am a retiree aged 75 yrs and have a few days undergone major reconstruction of both my feet, home with my husband, not able to walk around unnecessarily. 7pm Last night I developed a pain in my left calf, ?DVT.
Rang for my emergency assistance was talked into going to Casey hospital to emergency for a check, instead of being transported by transport ambulance, elderly & unable to walk except with crutches. My husband of 77 yrs drove me by car. Arrived 8pm sat for 3.5 hours in a wheelchair, feet down and cold in an overcrowded waiting room full of people with coughs, flu symptoms and unsettled babies. At 11.30pm told there are still people ahead of you. Cold, disappointed and in pain decided to call it a night & go home. Casey is a huge area with increasing population all the time. This is not the staffs fault all emergency beds were full and it seems they were only able to see around 3 people every hour. What is the government doing about this. Casey needs a bigger emergency area, possibly overall bed increase and the public need to be educated that the emergency area is just for that, not non critical issues, there is a 24 hour surgery just down the road for these people, why are they not using this instead of “clogging” up the emergency department. Education & more funding is needed now not in 20 years time. I am a retired midwife, in the past hospitals accommodated the sick, beds for all whether in quiet times or busy times. No mention of ” the budget does not allow us to use anymore beds than what the Government dictates.” You the government are putting money ahead of your public not only in this area but for our own eiducation of our young. MONEY RULES ALL.