Respect
the elderly and they will do the same
Allison
Baldwin
I
recently moved back home for the summer
to find my world altered by a new addition:
my grandmother. My grandma moved into
my parents’ home when I moved into
the dorms last August, and I did not
realize until recently how much my family’s
life was affected by this change.
My grandma is a stubborn woman who loves to take up causes, and, thanks to
her influence, I also end up taking on her causes.
Recently, an elderly widow who has lived across the street from us for more
than a decade was informed by her landlords that she would have to vacate her
home in a month. She was devastated by the news, and my grandma has become
vocal beyond reasonable standards about this.
The woman across the street had a verbal agreement with her previous landlord
over the terms of her lease, but her new landlords, who inherited the property,
are using the lack of a written contract to oust her and get more money.
This marks a disappointing trend in society, where the elderly are cast aside
because they may not be able to provide the same money a younger person can.
I don’t understand how someone can treat any person with the kind of
disregard that these people show my neighbor. She is recently widowed and has
nowhere else to go.
The elderly are not a burden. They should be treated with respect and kindness
because they deserve it. They have shaped our lives and our history. We should
acknowledge their place in society.
Growing old comes with enough issues, so the younger generations should take
care not to add more problems to the mix. In many other cultures, the elderly
are given the most respect and authority, but here, there are numerous examples
of the older generation being preyed upon and swindled by those who are supposed
to take care of them.
I just hope that, when those who act in such a way grow old, they are treated
with the same “kindness” they showed to their elders.
Allison Baldwin is a sophomore journalism major and the assistant city
editor for the Summer Forty Niner.
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