About the "seniors as racists" thing: Think of this; the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

[blondeatlast]

If most of today's "racist" seniors were against it what are the chances it would have passed?

It was a battle indeed but the Act passed. And today's 60, 70, 80 plussers had a hand in that.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=post&forum=132

Sorry to post another thread on this. But I did anyway! :hi:

Edit: typos.

[Cleita]

1. Yes, it's a good point to bring up because I was one of those seniors

back then who had a hand in it when I was young.

[EFerrari]

2. 'Way to do the math!

:hi:

[blondeatlast]

3. Just thinking of my own mom and dad! But any props I get for math, I'll take!

:rofl:

[Clovis Sangrail]

4. and the people who fought so hard against Civil Rights?

do you think they just disappeared?

I've met plenty of seniors who are small minded bigots.
That's not to say they all are, but racist seniors are far from an abnormal occurrence.
(at least around here)

[returnable]

5. Yeah, but giving African-Americans the right to vote...

...is not the same thing as actually supporting an African-American as President.

Are all seniors racist? Of course not. But is a large percentage of them still guided by biases formed in their youth? No doubt about it.

[Forkboy]

6. Just as the negative doesn't apply to all seniors, nor does this positive.

:shrug:

[BlooInBloo]

7. I'm still curious whether or not there's another age group that's statistically more racist...

than seniors.

Just a yes or a no is all I need.

[dsc]

9. actually when I lived in MS

I found that the people who would be about 45 to 60 now were at least as racist, if not more so, than those who would be 65 and up. I admit to not having any stats to back this up but I highly doubt you have any to back you up either.

[BlooInBloo]

11. How precisely does one have stats to back up a *question*?

When I lived in MS, racist really just meant "white", more or less.

[dsc]

13. actually many older whites had grown up in the civil rights era

and many did really take it in. I will admit to knowing an unusual group of whites well down there, and the rest virtually not at all, but many of the ones I knew were on the right side of history while the people one generation younger were pretty bad.

[blondeatlast]

8. "Most" does not imply all either way. Read the post, gang. nt

[marshall]

10. Remember that was an uphill battle

We have to fight as hard as they did back in the sixties. Recall that it was almost sidetracked by a filibuster (participated in by Senator Byrd among others). It took a great deal of diplomacy, finagling, and compromise to get the landmark act we have today.

I think we won't have a problem with those who were young in the sixties--I think our biggest problem will be with seniors of Byrd's generation--those who have not changed their opinion and ways like he did.

[Orsino]

12. ...and passed once enough white citizens were convinced they would remain on top. n/t

[Orsino]

14. This was yet another generation that was dragged, kicking and screaming...

...one further step into the Twentieth Century. The passage of the Act was a symptom of causes greater even than white privilege and racism. It doesn't absolve any individuals or condemn any whole demographics.

Their generation was simply accustomed to greater oppression, and so a lot of the living remainder look Neanderthal from where we stand.

[PolNewf]

15. Not all seniors at all. But a higher percentage than subsequent generations

Both black (see Rev Wright - I have sympathy for the 65+ black population due to what they went through) and White. Looking at poll crosstabs I'm very hopeful that in one more generation it will mostly be behind us.