by: Marceline Donaldson
Everytime I hear reference to Joe Biden’s age, I cringe. Why? Because I am older than President Biden – now 85 years old – and functioning with no problems.
Amazingly, I know lots of people much younger who are not functioning as well. However, comments would be made to take me down as well as Biden because of age. Somehow, over a certain age your accomplishments and your future are tainted with the same bigotry I have experienced all of my life as an African American/New Orleans Creole woman. This kind of bigotry may be new to Biden since he is a white male – however, he probably experienced some of it because he is a white Irish male.
Growing up in New Orleans, there was extensive prejudice against the Irish.There was that same bigotry across the United States. Some areas worse than others. Now living in the Greater Boston area, its history was also one in which “Irish need not apply.” In some areas where white Irish single women were not available, the white Irish single men looked for Native American and African American women as wives. That shows clearly in their progeny.
In New Orleans, amongst Black women it was stylist to have your hair dyed with streaks of red. That style came from how attractive the mixed Irish/Black children looked – they came out with black hair with streaks of red – or dark skin with red hair – or etc.
Now, Biden must endure, with all the politeness he has shown throughout his life, this new bigotry aimed at that kind of “kill me with racist remarks wrapped in demeaning intentional put down comments using my age” and then deny that is the intent of the remarks. Comments like – “Wow, he will be 86 when he finishes his second term”. What does that mean? It is a very, very bigoted comment and we make that plus others with no problems, in spite of the fact that today we have a problem with anyone using the “N” word. How is using the “old” word any different? The media regularly asks “isn’t he too old to run for a second term.” There needs to be a Court where one can turn to bring a law suit against such attitude and actions. Joe Biden seems quite fit to run for whichever office he chooses. He has the background and has shown his competency. None of what he has done stops the media and others from questioning his fitness for the job of President. He has performed marvelously well – so why would his age matter? Others have said the same thing only with the take line – she pas performed marvelously well – so why would her race and sex matter?
I certainly don’t want to be judged by my age. We take care of friends much younger who can’t take care of themselves, however, the negative “old” comments are not directed at or to them and their deficiencies and their physical problems – they would be directed at me. “Wow, how can you do the things you do at your age.” Same kind of remarks I used to get – “Wow, how could you have achieved what you did as a black woman?”
When are we going to stop judging people by standards which make us feel “better than” and start giving people credit for who they are with their physical attributes not at all considered – who they have sex with irrelevant – how “well” they function as “old” people a disgusting comment in the same category as the “N” word comments?
When we talk about Joe Biden’s age we have no boundaries. There is nothing which keeps us back. If we talked about the color of a persons’ skin in relation to their ability to function the reporter who made such comments would be out of a job or worse.
It is time to hold up those who are doing this and promoting this bit of bigotry and to call it what it is. Anyone doing this is, no doubt, doing the racist bit, the sexist bit, etc. etc.
STOP IT! Try talking about Joseph Biden in terms of his accomplishments not his age.
