Posted on 01/16/2020 2:48:53 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The 64-year-old leader of the Supreme Court posed a question on Wednesday that some in his generation have been asking for months: Does saying “OK, boomer” count as age discrimination?
If the query hadn’t been an earnest attempt to test the bounds of a lawyer’s legal argument, Chief Justice John Roberts might have followed it up with another viral expression: “Asking for a friend.”
But Roberts wasn’t typing a tweet. This was a meeting of the highest court in the land, and its nine justices - older federal employees ranging from 52 to 86 years old - were hearing a case about the standard that older federal employees must meet when trying to prove age discrimination.
The case, Babb v. Wilkie, centers on Noris Babb, a pharmacist for the Department of Veterans Affairs who sued her employer, claiming that she was denied pay raises and promotions partly because of her age. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act requires those working in the private sector or for state or local governments to show that age caused the discriminatory action.
Babb’s lawyers have argued that differences between the law’s federal and private-sector provisions mean that government workers must only prove that age was one among several factors that led to the negative action, making it easier for them to sue their employer.
Roberts was skeptical, quizzing Babb’s attorney, Roman Martinez, and becoming the first person in Supreme Court history to invoke the popular “OK, boomer” meme as the chamber chuckled.
“So calling somebody a ‘boomer’ and considering them for a position would be actionable?” Roberts asked.
Yes, Martinez replied, if the comment “was one of the factors going into this decision, I think it absolutely would be covered.”
(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...
LOL! My kids say this to me all the time even though I’m a Gen X guy anyway
Are you white? Are you a male?
Then it’s OK to discriminate. Happens every day.
Boomer.
It’s the same thing as saying “Whatever old man”.
What I noticed looking at leftist sites, social media and apps is if you question why a millennial supports communists and communism, for example they’ll praise Bernie as a God and you let them know Bernie is communist, right away they’ll call you a “boomer” as if it’s an insult. I guess Bernie Stalin doesn’t qualify as a “boomer” as he was hatched 1941.
Haha! Me too. :D
There needs to be a meme to go viral. Pic of “Burney” with the caption “OK, Boomer”.
yep
I don’t mind being called “boomer”.
I answer them with “ignorant dumbass”.
works for me.
Drove past a large age-55 trailer park the other day and called it Boomerville. My son cracked up laughing.
“Doomer” is best retort I’ve seen so far imo.
Compared with the current generation and its predecessor, every Baby Boomer and an absolute genius.
When you try to make people beleive there aren’t just two sexes, that alone spells “a lost generation”. It’s going to take some cataclysmic event in the future to breed the stupid out that kids born in the past 25 years have been and will be exposed to.
Saying anything will get you some lash back from someone who’s offended.
Roberts is only 64? Looks like we are stuck with him unless he is being blackmailed and it comes out.
Snowflake Americans have really lowered the bar for what qualifies as “discriminatory” or “offensive.”
I wouldn’t object to being called “boomer” but I have no doubt age discrimination exists and is fairly widespread. I’ve not been subjected to it, personally, but I’ve observed many instances of people who have.
People, especially men, in their 50’s and 60’s get the worst of it. I’m grateful I never had to seek a job since the late 70’s. However I know others who have, and it ain’t easy. Your best bet is to keep improving your knowledge and skills throughout your career.
I got great advice from my supervisor way back when. He said most people think that doing great work will get you rewarded. He went on to point out there’s a missing factor in that equation: visibility.
You may be doing a great job, and your boss may acknowledge it. However, you will be more successful if you make it a point to let others know. It’s tricky to do without irriating people, but a skill well worth making the effort to develop.
John Belushi would have celebrated his 71st birthday next week if not for that stupid overdose. Definitely a boomer.
Is calling the prosecution morons a bad thing? What gall to waste the court’s time and our tax dollars.
I have never considered myself part of the “boomer” generation. I’m 52 born in ‘67. I was always under the impression the end of the boomer gen was between ‘62 and ‘65.
Usually the ok boomer thing is associated with some form of climate bs.
Just hit them with "that's right doomer."
.
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