February 18, 2003

Age discrimination bites!
   by djzippera77 <djzippera77@netscape.net>

Something that makes me go PFFT is the age discrimination I get from almost everyone, everywhere. How many of you think that a 12-year-old is unworthy of your time and incapable of having an intelligent conversation? I don’t know many 12-year-olds aside from my sister and a few of my long time friends. I seem to get along better with the "older crowd," but it takes me forever to prove to them that I'm not just a stupid little 12-year-old. I don’t like to feel as if I have to prove myself to anyone, but the criticism can become unbearable. So I have the choice to either walk away from the critics, or prove them wrong. Being very stubborn and tenacious when it comes to proving my point, people hear me out whether they like it or not.

I don’t know if you're into zodiac signs or not but I am. I am a Leo, and if you know your astrology you’ll know what that means. I don’t take crap from anybody, and getting crap about my age especially pisses me off royally. I am 12, if you haven’t already figured it out, and many people see me as an ignoramus because of my age, which is extremely untrue. I am smarter and more mature than the average 12-year-old if I do say so myself. What is an average 12-year-old anyway? Most people my age are satisfied with playing with dolls or riding bikes, but unfortunately for me, I don’t get the luxury of such satisfaction. I doubt many of you are around my age, and I don’t think you’re even suppose to have a name on here unless you're over the age of 14. I may be taking this too far, but don’t you think it’s a little obvious that they think that people under the age of 14 are incompetent? Why else would they have an age criteria?

Look at just everyday life, how old do you have to be to apply for a job? 14 right, maybe 15? I’ve never once seen a place that will hire someone the age of 12 or 13. I have tried to find a job that will hire me but because of my age I’m unqualified for the job. How old do you have to be to push a freaking shopping cart at Food-for-Less, or take an order at Dairy Queen? The best job I can get is babysitting for my older sisters or close friends of my mom, which pay very little if at all. It's not only unfair, it's also a constant reminder for me and many others that I'm not old enough yet... still not old enough yet.

I'm not in any hurry to grow up or anything, I just don’t think I should have to wait until I'm all grown up get the respect I deserve. Well I guess no one will ever be able to realize someone of this age's full potential unless you actually give them the time of day. I guess it’s not fair to say everyone, the higher percentage then, or at least from my experience with people. It’s not right to have automatic assumptions about a person just because of their race or gender, and that goes for age too. A lot of people seem to think that discrimination towards race and gender is a lot more serious than discrimination towards age, because what do they know, they’re only children right? Well that’s exactly what discrimination is. If someone were to say, oh you're Islamic so you cant work here BANG! Lawsuit. But if you were to say that to someone around my age, nothing would come of it except for one very pissed off 12-year-old. Don’t you agree? Well if you don’t its not a BIG shocker. So if you’ve never thought about this now you have, and PFFT! To all the age discriminating pricks out there. They all need to be kicked in the shin!

Published: February 18, 2003
Editor: stacy