Alex Schadenberg: Five Reasons Why People Devalue the Elderly

We haven’t written about Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide for a while, but Alex Schadenberg does so tirelessly at the Euthansia Prevention Coalition blog. The post I wanted to highlight is actually written by Kitty Holman, 5 Reasons Why People Devalue the Elderly.

The short list:

1. Us-versus-them mentality
2. The tendency to “shoot” our weak and wounded
3. Lack of compassion
4. The idea that one’s value is based on what one can contribute to society
5. Youth-centric culture

It’s a provocative list, be sure to click through to actually read the rationale behind each point. I’m not sure I agree with all of them, though the more I consider each one, I can see certain circumstances in which it’s relevant, in society at large and in my own personal experience.

What’s your take on the list? I think Holman captures some of the key themes, but I’m not sure that this serves as a master list.