Primary Education Topic:
Policy and Advocacy
Other Education Topics:
Leadership in Aging
Legal & Ethical Issues
Fighting ageism through civic engagement could be the baby boomers’ next big human rights battle.
By Barbara Raynor
During the 1984 presidential debates, 73-year-old President Ronald Reagan was asked whether he was too old to serve—to which he famously replied, “I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.” Though his response elicited a laugh from his opponent, both the question and the answer were examples of ageism in action.