To think that bigotry in is not acceptable just because someone is old

[Ilovecupcakke]

Just had a coffee in Costa, an older group of people came in, whilst getting on with my work I could hear their conversation. In the 20 mins they were present they proceeded to

. Blame the Epstein victims for what happened to them, apparently its ok because they were flown on private jets.

. Claim strictly will be ruined next year by same sex couples.

. Praise Boris Johnson for apparently committing to keep foreigners out.

Aibu to think this type of bigotry is not acceptable because the people saying it are older. Took all my strength not to say something.

I'm sure plenty of young people hold those horrendous views, you just heard them expressed by older people. Down with the casual ageism please.

If it makes you feel better a lot of the racist old people are often too vision impaired to notice when a brown person is speaking to them. I have been approached by a number of 80+ olds today who seemed to think it was okay to tell me how happy they are that Boris will stop Indian and African immigration; despite me being obviously brown.

And yes young people also hold this view - but society encourages us to challenge them. While society encourages us to turn a blind eye to the elderly bigots.

Bigotry isn’t okay but presumably they were expressing opinions in a private conversation rather than regaling the entire coffee shop with their idiot views?

Did they use sexist/racist epithets? If so, then yes, you’d have been entitled to jump in, imo.

The fact is that you have raised the issue of their age when they were expressing obnoxious views you hear from all age groups.

Not all older people think like that, obviously, and a lot of young people think like that too.

Of course not all older people, I know many fantastic older people who have been progressive their whole life.

They didnt use epithets but the language was very toxic especially about Epstein victims.

I think most of society holds horrible victim blaming views especially in respect of sex crimes. Hence why 'rape jokes' still exist, conviction rates are low etc.

I think people can be against immigration for reasons other than racism / xenophobia (eg pressure on resources in certain areas) although there is often a correlation between anti immigration and racism.

I have heard arguments that for some dances, using the dress is a large part of the dance and some of the beauty of the dance is lost if they are both wearing dresses or suits (I'm not sure if this is true as don't follow dancing, and im not sure if they take that into account when designing costumes for same sex couples anyway).

Of course bigotry isn't acceptable just because you're old. But plenty young people think like this - and do you really think young people wouldn't have 'got away' with saying what they did? Would you have challenged a group of 20 year olds having a private conversation along these lines?

It’s a shame you’ve made a link between their views and their age.

Praise Boris Johnson for apparently committing to keep foreigners out.

This is sadly widespread across the age range.

The attitudes held by huge swathes of the public regarding rape and sexual assault are horrifying. They may not be discussing it loudly in your local coffee shop but I’d lay money on you knowing some perfectly lovely, pleasant women who hold similar views - they just don’t talk about it. There’s a reason that there are so few rape convictions - juries.

How old are you puta?

@Ilovecupcakke
You'd class me as old, as I'm in my 60s and I wouldn't have kept my mouth shut. I'd have definitely told them that their views were offensive. I've been involved with some very heated conversations when I think people's views are racist and sexist. If people don't speak out when they encounter bigotry then bigotry will continue.
By the way your casual ageism fucking stinks.

Ridiculous to suggest agism. Older generations are notably more racist.

Here is a paper about it.

www.academia.edu/209861/Is_racial_prejudice_declining_in_Britain

If the whole group had been black, would you have made the same last assumption that their race was responsible for their views?

My retired neighbours are terrible for this. I would not be able to post the stuff I’ve overheard them say in the street to other older neighbours. The looks they give my visitors or our delivery people when they’re not white is horrendous

Aibu to think this type of bigotry is not acceptable because the people saying it are older. Took all my strength not to say something.

Bigotry is never acceptable. It's not age that let's people get away with it, its others not standing up to it. Hope you managed to get some work done in between listening intently to other people's conversations. I wouldn't be able to concentrate in such an environment myself.

If the whole group had been black, would you have made the same last assumption that their race was responsible for their views?

lol OK boomer.

And yes young people also hold this view - but society encourages us to challenge them. While society encourages us to turn a blind eye to the elderly bigots.

Society does nothing of the sort, what nonsense.

lol OK boomer.
🙄 wow, what a (not so) clever retort to what was actually a valid question. I’m no boomer but I’d be interested in the response. Does the OP routinely assume a group of similar people are speaking for their entire genre? Or only when the group happen to be elderly

Or maybe because, unlike black people, elderly people are in fact much more likely to be racist.

Read the link I posted if you don't believe me.

Ageism seems to be fine on here in the way that other forms of discrimination aren’t.

How about if the group were all wheelchair users then? Would you have assumed their views were because they were disabled?

Down with the casual ageism please.

This is such a mindlessly idiotic thing to say.

It isn't ageist to criticise an older person for being racist, FFS.

It is agist to attribute the racism to their age.

How about if the group were all wheelchair users then? Would you have assumed their views were because they were disabled?

No! Why even make this comparison? Anyone's racist views are racist because they're RACIST!

Again, disabled people aren't statistically more likely to be racist. Wilfully missing the point here.

Im sure out there somewhere is a young person with all these opinions.

However lets be honest that it is more likely to be older people who hold these views.

Lets be real it is going to be mostly older people who are going to be more bothered by same sex couples on strictly, its older people who are going to be much more likely to vote Johnson.

Like I said I know fantastic older people who have fought for progressive causes all their life.

We also have this attitude in society which is that it is ok when older people express bigotry. This is what the thread was challenging.