It’s because in many countries, the elderly people are revered, cherished, admired and respected. They are considered wise and are to be respected. In the U.S., our senior citizens are often cast off and put away as if they are someone’s garbage. While it’s true that many seniors have children and grandchildren who love and respect them, so many others are forgotten and alone, living their last days in nursing homes, many of which are of very poor quality.
I believe that senior citizens worked in their youth and made contributions to society which have benefited the next generation of citizens. Their life experience, contributions and wisdom EARNS them the right to be treated with respect and care, whether or not they are rich or poor. For the simple fact that they have earned the respect of the younger generations, I believe they ALL deserve every discount they get. It is a small price for the rest of us to pay, in gratitude for all they have done for future generations.
Not only that, we paid our taxes and into Social Security and have served our country in several wars. We have contributed to the collective knowledge of many industries while trying to educate our children.
Most live on fixed income and still have to pay income tax on our Social Security payments.