The Geriatric Hat Trick

originally posted by: CloneFarm1000
At what age does someone become out of touch?
Can it be pinpointed to a specific year?
Does it depend on the individual?

Stumbling presidents, freezing senators, skeletoid speakers. These are the people making decisions for us?

Age has it's merits and age has it's limits.

At 18 you are eligible for the draft.
We can trust an 18 year old to fight for our freedom but not to write for our freedom.

25 is the age minimum for Congress.
30 is the age minimum for Senate.
35 is the age minimum for President.

Why is this? Do we simply not trust the youth enough to have the experience to make the right decisions?

That's part of it, though you should note that these age limits are only on a national level. They don't hold true for local level.

Shouldn't young people have more of a say on the policies that will effect their lives longer than the ones who write them?

They should and many of them can. They're the ones working within and for organizations, including environmental organizations and political organizations.

Not only do health and cognitive abilities come into question, there's the question of whether or not this advanced aged person has their finger on the pulse of the present.

Can you teach an old dog new tricks or are they already set in their old ways of thinking?

If you don't see people as individuals but as some sort of cookie-cutter organism, then the answer is "they're already set." If you see them as individuals, you'll see that some are out of touch even at a fairly early age. Some stutter, some are perpetually clumsy, some don't have very good short-term memories. You'll see older people who are progressive thinkers, creative, vibrant, and strong community leaders.

Artificial limits like that also throws out the good.