ACLU Sues to Eliminate Senior Discounts

BOGUS News Network ^

[SAMWolf]

BALTIMORE, MD — If you are a senior citizen and you've grown accustomed to getting a small discount when you shop at Walmart or eat at Denny's, then you'd better be prepared to start paying full price if the ACLU has its way. Attorneys for the ACLU have filed a Federal Discrimination Lawsuit that seeks to bar U.S. businesses from giving senior discounts.

Karl Lennin, an ACLU attorney told BNN, "The senior discount is one of the worst examples of discrimination in America. It unfairly punishes younger Americans and gives preferential treatment to seniors for no other reason than their age. This is immoral and illegal. That is why we are calling on the courts to uphold current anti-discrimination laws and put an end to this discriminatory practice."

Patrick Henry, a spokesman for the U.S. Chamber of Retailers opposes the ACLU's lawsuit. Said Henry, "If there is something good happening in America, wait five minutes and the ACLU will file a lawsuit to stop it. Their lawsuit is not only frivolous, but shows just how mentally bent this organization has become." Henry defended the practice of giving seniors a discount by saying, "If a company wants to give a little perk to seniors by giving them a small discount, then that is showing respect to a group of people who deserve it. Hasn’t the ACLU heard the saying ‘Respect Your Elders’?"

The ACLU’s Karl Lennin disagrees. Asked Lennin, "Why should a person whose lived a few more miserable years than another person be allowed to pay $5.00 for a meal that everyone else has to pay $6.00? That is nothing more than arbitrary preferential treatment. We don’t let retailers give preferential treatment to people because of their skin color, why should we let them do it because of a person’s age? That’s called discrimination and its against the law."

[Terrorista Nada]

Special treatment of one group over the rest of us is always discrimination. Doesn't matter if it's called affirmative action, senior discounts, or free prescription drugs, and it will always cause much resentment.

[SAMWolf]

Special treatment of one group over the rest of us is always discrimination. Doesn't matter if it's called affirmative action, senior discounts, or free prescription drugs, and it will always cause much resentment.

Agree with all except "Senior Discounts".
Senior Discounts are not mandated by Law. It's up to the Business if they want to offer them.

[calypgin]

I certainly hope these fine folks intend to put a stop to those discriminatory "Children Under Twelve free" enticements as well! ~gag~

[Rebelbase]

When this actually comes to pass, this post will trancend humor to become prophecy.

[Timesink]

Well if that's how you view your parents or grandparents I would have to say you came from a very unhappy family or a broken home.

It's not. I don't even see how you extrapolated such an idea from my comments.

[Dimensio]

The best parodies, satire and jokes always sound believable. That's what makes them so good.

Who wouldn't believe that the ACLU would do this??

I wouldn't, I know better than to believe that the ACLU would target private businesses over a senior discount policy. I would be only slightly less likely to believe such a story were it a government institution engaging in such a practice.

It's like the urban legend about Janet Reno equating a cultist with "Someone who has a strong belief in the Bible..." or the falsified quote from Earth in the Balance where Al Gore is quoted as writing that Christians are a blight on the environment or the one about George W. Bush sold a home with a racial covenant (ie, as part of the purchasing agreement the buyer agreed not to sell the property to blacks).

Even in cases like this, where the story was intended as satire and not deliberate slander, people cite the story in whole or part and careless viewers don't bother to look for the attribution, see something that sounds "characteristic" of the group or person they revile, and share it with their friends -- without even including the citation. I remember when the Onion article about Harry Potter leading kids into Satanism was hitting the newsgroups, and another recent story about a woman who saw helium-filled blow-up dolls floating up from a truck driven by a man with long hair and a beard (and a toga, for a costume party) was killed when she thought it was the second coming. I read it on a USENET newsgroup where it was posted as intentional satire, but it was spread rapidly across the 'net as a "true story".

People pick out every bit of negativity that they can from those whom they revile and soon anything they hear is believable.

[JimVT]

"Why should a person whose lived a few more miserable years than another person be allowed to pay $5.00 for a meal that everyone else has to pay $6.00?

"A few more miserable years"....isn't that a telling statement about the mindset of these defeatist A**holes?

P.S. "whose" does not equal "who has" but these legal jerks don't study grammar.

[layman]

There's a second-hand store in Pittsburgh that has a sign in the window which says, "If you can prove you're under 50 years old ... 10% Discount on all merchandise."

[bookwurm]

The first time I actually agree with the ACLU. Yikes, that's scary. I don't think there's anything wrong with seniors getting discounts and I don't think it should stop, but it IS discriminatory. There are a LOT of poor young people who could really USE the discount. Meanwhile in the very upper middle class burb I live in, there a plenty of seniors who are driving their Rolls and Jags, etc. and vacationing around the globe, getting their discounts. I don't think it is right. Oh well....

[dwhite]

Huge surprise with this remark BUT I have NO prescription drug discount and I am a senior member of the human race. I get no disounts at bargain stores either.

So you can keep your stupid comments to yourself.

Senior Lady in GA

[Springman]

It was the real corned beef, just got back home, Mrs Springman is still there, she got off work late. Miss Sam loved the pic you gave the link for. NO ONE ELSE had check thier e-mail's yet. BTW I pasted(sp?) a White Castle on the way home, thought of you, I would have had one for you, but too full of GOOD CORN BEEF LOL.

[moonman]

Thanks for the post.

I wish the ACLU would drop it's suit. I've been ordering off the senior citizen's menu since I was 35 years old (I'm 51 now). Only once did a waitress ask me if I was old enough. I told her if she had a problem with my order to please send the manager over. The manager knew better! :)

[TexanaRED]

Heh, I wish this WERE true. There's nothing goofier than giving out senior discounts. "Congratulations! You made it to 65 without dying! Here's 10% off!" Seniors tend to be the most affluent people, not the least.

Hey, speak for yourself, dude! If I am fortunate to make it to 65, I WANT MY DISCOUNTS! LOL!

[Political Junkie Too]

Hey, I have no problem with discounts for anyone. I think the ACLU is reaching on this and just trying to make trouble. I'm simply saying that if one takes a position that people who are retired and on reduced income are to be given breaks, then be consistent with that message.

-PJ

[Don Myers]

Oh, Oh, the ACLU VS the AARP. The ACLU is going to regret this.

[Springman]

Passed

[Clintons Are White Trash]

I agree! I'm 44 and I've been counting down the years till I can get my Sr. discounts!! Did I say 44? I meant 34...