Age Discrimination

I know many people suffer from age discrimination, be it that know you're too young or that they don't know. And I just want to touch base with all that here.

a question: what, if any, situations do you (anyone) think age does matter?

• None that I can think of, except if you're looking for sexual/romantic relations try and find someone who isn't pre-pubescent. Ahem.
• dude, I was horny and lookin' for love when I was prepubescent. *cough* -moth
• Um... no you weren't.
• dude, i so was. -moth
• You totally weren't!
• You so weren't at all! like, in no way whatsoever! in less of a way than anything, ever!-courtney
• what the shit! i was! it's true! it's just that once i found horny boy loves who were interested, i ran for the hills. but i was still looking! -moth
• Yes actaully age matters in a lot of situations, Well for one Sexuel relationship (Witch should not matter!! I hate 23 year olds!!), and even friendships, I know for one, I don't usaully get along with people a lot younger then me that much at all, and I do get along with people older then me a lot more. It'd be good if age didn't matter, but it does, everyone Discriminates age, well not everyone...thoughs people are cool, well inless the people suck! sucky people suck!-NickV

• I have talked about my problem in IRC, so some of you may have heard this before, for those who have not. The story follows as so: I have known my friend Alex for 4 and a half years, and not just him, I've known the entire family, he lives right down the street from where my dad used to live, so I was over there a lot. Now when I first met his family, I was a lot younger, and very immature (12 years if age). In being so I did not get along to well with his little sister whom was 9 when I first met her. Now that I've gotten older and a bit more mature, I don't fight with her, and in the past year we have become good friends. We both like the same kind of music, we have some of the same outlooks on life. And we share the same birthday. The problem lies in her parents, and her older brother (my friend alex). They think that her and I should not TALK! Don't have sex? understandable, that's an easy one to avoid. Don't make out? sure another easy one to avoid. But they don't want us to talk. Every time she talks to me, she gets grounded. for a day, or from the phone, or the internet, or from her friends. but they still ground her. I've confronted this with Alex, to no avail, because he feels the same way his mom does. And their mom is so two faced, she will smile in my face and ask me how my mom is doing. and she won't mention a thing about how stupid she is being. Granted she doesn't think she's being stupid. I would say she's being over protective, but I have known the whole family for over 4 years. That drasticaly changes things. Now it's not like I'm a bad influence on the family. Sure I haven't been to nice to the youngest of the family, but he's so damn annoying, and it's not like I beat him up or anything, I've talked to him before. I've had conversations with him. I don't yell at him. I just goof around with him, and poke fun at him, just as I do with anyone. They also have another son whom has down syndrome, and I am so nice to that kid, I'll play sports with him, I'll talk to him. I'm nice to both their mom, and their dad. I ask them about their day, and I mean it. and I'm sinceare about it. But nothing works. Alex's excuse is always this: "she's 14 Brent. You just shouldn't talk to 14 year olds". I have thrown so much at him, so many great arguments, but he just brushes them off, and says it again: "you just shouldn't talk to 14 year olds". I say: "so am I not aloud to talk to my parents?". he says "it doesn't count if they're in your blood-line". and I say: "so I'm not aloud to talk to my friend Sarah coahn? (she's 21), or my step mother? I mean for gods sakes shes 30 years older then me". and he says "that doesn't count".

So can anybody tell me what does count? 'cause I don't think alex knows what counts and what doesn't. What I want to know from everybody is, if you're having similar problems: what are you doing about it? or what would you do if confronted by a situation such as mention? or if you think that I'm being unreasonable, and that I should just stop talking to her, 'cause she is younger then me (god forbid). Or is it just that I'm a 17 year old guy, and my goal here in life, on this earth, is to rape every girl that I can see? 'cause I'm running out of options. and I'm ready to give up, and give in.

       sincerely --Brent

I've found that women won't have sex with me due to my age. Tha end. §Matt H§ p.s. This was a joke so don't hound me on it.

Just out of curiosity...how old are you? - Alexandra Gramps

Well, you're exactly 6 months older then me. You were born on my half birthday! and I was born on your half birthday! hehe. RAE

wow, my first post on wiki in ages (ages for me!) and it's here... it sounds like they're being unfair. but i'd also want more information on the situation, like if the family thinks you two are romantically involved. if you're not involved, then I would say they're acting unreasonably. do you talk to the mother much? maybe you could sit her down and say that you enjoy being friends with the girl, that you have music taste in common, etc., and it seems like she doesn't approve and you want to know why. good luck to you. that bites. jessica (wb)

• I don't know if they would call it romantically involved. but I see what your saying. Yes they do think so. but they think that it's more of that I'm trying to sleep with her. and she's to confused to know the difference or something like that. I'm not sure exactly what they think, and I would love to sit her mom down and have a talk with her. but I'm afraid that she might take offense to it, and just kick me out all together.

I do talk to her mom, but it's usually just idle chit chat. and she's straight faced smiling at me. and that really messes with me. If she like gave me funny looks, or if she acted differently around me, I might have an easier time around her. I may just try that though. ask her if she has a problem with me being friends with daughter. something honest and straight, not rude, or beat around the bush.

          thanks for the responce.  --Brent

brent another thing that you could do if your to nervous to talk to the mother is write her a letter that way you could say EXACTLY what you want to say with out interuption and with out having to get caught up right away triing to explain mispreseptions on what she thinks your saying. good luck -knuteboy

• Damn, everybodys got good ideas. I would do that mitch, but I can't write very well at all, and a letter just seems improper, expecially since i go over there a lot. if things start to suck worse, and I still can't get up the nerve to talk to her, then I will resort to that. thanks Brent

Brenthey, if you do have to resort to writing a letter, if you'd call me up and say what you wanted to say, I could help you turn it into a clear and concise letter. ~Jasmine~

Brent, I have something I'd like to say. Actually, I've been wanting to say this for a very long time now. But now that the situation you're involved in has shed some light on my feelings toward you, I find this an appropriate time to speak my mind. I realise that you and my daughter Naomi are very close friends. She says she can tell you anything, and so forth. But I'm not going to sit around while you try to corrupt her! I think that every mother has a gut instinct which informs them that all 17 year old boys are immoral creatures unworthy of respect, who go around with lethal drugs in their pockets, trying to seduce every female they come in contact with. I am very protective of my daughter and I hereby ban you from her house! She may not see you, speak to you, or look at your pictures. If i catch you trying to make contact with her in any way i promise you i will call the cops! Now don't get me wrong, Brent... i still like you as a person. I think you're one of the few 17 year olds boys out there with a shred of decency. But you don't just go around talking to innocent girls that are THREE years younger than you! It's just not... kosher! So do all us mothers a favor, and keep your charm to yourself. Go play with kids your own age. - Shelley (naomi's mom)

	*HAHAHAHHAHAHA!

 *thank you shelly. I love you!  and you scared the crap outta me. thank
you! *grins* --Brent

Brent, while you're having the problem of being the older guy talking to someone younger, I have the opposite problem!

I have been having Discrimination in some form or other because of age since I was 12 (summer of 1997). That summer was the second time I had volunteered somewhere (the first, summer '96-summer '97 was at a small branch of the cities' library system). I had started working at the main, downtown branch of the library. I easily made friends with the other peers my age, as well as the paid staff (part time & full). Being young, nieve, etc. back then I didn't try to 'stay in contact' with people, like if they'd quit working there (i.e. karen, shannon, lamont, drew) unfortunely, and I regret it to this day. Anyway, I would act as I would normally, and not change just because I was working there. Most of the time it was fine, but I did had some problems with some of the people I'd try to get to know, who'd go to talk to my supervisor or something. Because for example I tried to give this one guy a pen my grandmother had decorated out of clay, he refused & said it was special, i shouldn't give it away, etc. i said don't worry, i had others, i wanted to give it to him, he still said no. i didn't think much of it until my supervisor came and talked to me about it later that day (or the next time i was in?). Anyway, I had more to write but my brother is going to use the computer. And I am going to watch an all-new West Wing (NBC/9 pm called The Drop-In).

this issue matters a lot to me. I also have opinions that are generally different from everyone elses. I believe that age really doesnt matter. in any situation. ever. I think that it is all about maturity level. so therefor you would not engage in a sexual act (under almost all cercumstances) with someone who is very very young. however if they think that they are ready and they are at your level then wtf does it matter how old they are. granted very very very few pre-pubecent people will be ready to engage in something of that nature, but I do think it is possible. I myself have gotten a lot of crap from people for being as young as I am (15) I had my first relationship at right after I turned 14 (acctually it was 2 days before) and I was together with that person for 1 1/2 years. it totally changed me and I think it matured me quite a bit. therefore I often feel more mature then my age. yet I still cannot get a job anywhere cause no one will hire a 15 year old regardless of if they are going to college. so yeah. not only that but my dad is very very agist. I HATE it. arg. I often wish I could be older so that I wouldnt have to deal with all the peoples shit. and for other reasons but yeah. also along the sexual lines, I define myself as a very sexual person and I have no issues with age around the topic. I think that it is silly to define someone by their age and not their maturaty level, I mean come on, isnt that what a person is? ~Malia(Laurel)

go Malia, you've got me thinking... to some degree, i can see how agist thinking makes sense. i mean, younger people simply do not have the same amount of sheer expirience. i tend to get along with people near my own age better because we're going through the same things society-wise, and often internally too... plus for younger people (kids and teenagers) there are a lot of physical differences, five year olds do think differently than fifteen year olds. about sexual relationships... hm. part of me thinks that if you think you're ready you are. part of me thinks there are way too many hormones in a teenagers body for the mind to be rational most of the time. ;)