Disrespecting the Elderly: Betting on Death

If you read that site carefully, or indeed at all, you will see no evidence of any betting.
This kind of kneejerk reaction to deathlist.net is understandable of course, but mistaken.
True, it's distasteful to some, but not nearly as disrespectful as you might think on first glance. Excepting of course the odd black sheep who doesn't necessarily represent the views of the management.

Read about Ageism and elder abuse at Myelderadvocateblog.com

I suppose if that site gets enough hits, they've managed to succeed at gaining the notoriety they set out to find!

As for the general 'respect' issue; I think you hit the nail on the head with this; "I think this site highlights a general feeling held by the younger part of society that doesnt respect the elderly and is frequently impatient with these people. Society is very youth oriented. Ageism or discrimination against a person of a specific age is not uncommon among the elderly simply because many companies want to be seen as innovative and fresh and having a high number of older people wouldnt have as positive of an image. Their is a lot of discrimination and maltreatment of the elderly and I think those striving for progress should take more time to advocate better treatment of the elderly."

Ageism is going to get worse since the baby boomers will make up the majority of our population in the coming years. This not only brings with it the problem of filling those 'fresh, innovative jobs' but, severe crisis' within our healthcare system. People are living longer and becoming more healthy. My grandfather will be 96 this year; doesn't take any meds; doesn't look a day over 60; and I don't think he's going anywhere soon! Companies are actually now taking a look at what the 'older' generation has to offer them that the younger generation cannot. . . experience, maturity, not looking to climb the corporate ladder, and merely working as a supplemental income.

I for one, believe in respecting the elderly for many reasons. They not only possess a world of knowledge based on a lifetime of experience but, yes. . they have paid their debt to society (in most cases) and deserve respect from those coming after them. They have paved the way for many a youth to make it possible for them to get a shot in life. Many have sacrificed for their families far beyond what any younger individual would even dare to think of. They didn't have the mindset of entitlement that the youth of today have. Each and every one of us needs to remember that we too will be elderly one day. There are real people behind those faces of 'bets on death'.

Noone said; just because someone has lived longer on this earth that they deserve respect. It is the quality of that life and what they have sacrificed and added to society that makes them deserving of the respect. They too were progressive in their time and, believe it or not, many strive to be progressive today.

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"Truths Are The Roots To Trust"

The elderly should be respected, but I draw the line with this. Old men fathering kids in their twilight years are being incredibly selfish. Their health issues put a strain on their children, they actually have to worry about staying alive long enough to see them graduate, and are guaranteed to die when the children are still relatively young, depriving them of DECADES of time with their parents. That's assuming the child itself isn't crippled by genetic disorders that grow in frequency the older the father is.

It's a rare occurrence, but that doesn't make it any less repugnant.

"CONSERVATIVE, n.
A statesman who is enamored of existing evils, as distinguished from the Liberal, who wishes to replace them with others."
- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary"

I LOVE old people! They've been through it all 6 or more times already.

I do agree that we live in a youth oriented culture and it's sad that we ignore the needs of people who sometimes need the most.
The elderly deserve respect, even though they're cranky sometimes. They've dealt with a lot of shit and shouldn't be treated like a burden. I respect my parents too much to pack them into an old folks home. When I get a place of my own, they're coming to live with me before they go to a home!

I actually don't like the elderly at all. I've met very few elderly people that are looking out for anyone but themselves and I've met very few elderly people that have anything to offer anyone. I have, however, met plenty of lazy, slow, and selfish elderly people. I don't disrespect them any more than I disrespect young people with the same qualities, but people freak out more because somehow the elderly are better than everyone else.

Also, couldn't life insurance be considered betting on death? You're betting you're going to die before the insurance company thinks you will, so that your family will get money.

Doesn't Rotten do something like that (click the link at your own discretion. I take no responsibility for the awful shit they post there)?

I agree it's pretty sick, but as somebody else mentioned, that's the nature of celebrity. Look at what's happened to Anna Nicole Smith. I wouldn't quite say they're regarded as subhuman; more like hyper-human.

Suing would be a waste of time. I'm with the "betting on yourself" plan, especially if euthanasia is allowed.

"CONSERVATIVE, n.
A statesman who is enamored of existing evils, as distinguished from the Liberal, who wishes to replace them with others."
- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary"

personally, i believe that kids only discriminate against the elderly out of the instinct of not wanting to grow old. Even so, many people including kids and adults alike had a great respect for the author Kurt Vonnegut, who died yesterday due to brain injuries.

Now, if I were on this list, and knew I was going to die within the year, I would anonymously bet on myself and get people to bet LOTS of money so I could pass off the money I would get to my grandkids. That way, I will have left my final mark on this world...by stealing the bastards' money and giving it to my family so they'll be well off.

Hehe, that sounds like a great story when my grandkids ask their parents where the money came from. "Well, there was this website..."

"What the hell are you waiting for?" Linkin Park-Jay Z

I'm amazed that the United Kingdom actually has something like this in place, and for twenty years going to boot! The UK is generally much more into preaching tolerance than Freedom of Speech, so this shocks me.

But to answer your questions, while I don't go out of my way to disrespect the elderly, and certainly would never make a game out of death (either someone else's or my own) I've never believed that someone deserves my respect for the simple fact of them having been here on Earth longer. However, I will grant you that most of the people on that list probably do deserve a lot more respect than they seem to be getting for the simple fact that they have worked and have made something of themselves. I would be interested to hear what some of the people that have been listed on the site have to say about it.

As far as ageism, I'm not sure what else can be done. It's just like racism: it's disgusting when you see it, but it's not against the law.

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"Dream as though you'll live forever, but live as though there's no tomorrow" --James Dean

http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/fanaile-essence

I can't even relate to this sort of site.

My (other) sister is a journalist, and she's interested in the death of certain notables because, frankly, that's what makes the news. But for her, celebrity death isn't so much a novelty as it is news-- like when Pope John Paul II was in and out of surgery, it was current news to discuss/joke whether or not he would ever improve. But this site is a bit different than that.

Maybe it's a British thing.