Mamma
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2005
- Posts
- 2,802
Well, in theory, ANY mandated retirement age is discriminatory. Not that I'm an advocate, per se. Just sayin'...
Of course it is discriminatory. But is discrimination always a bad thing? We discriminate every day in regards to the people we associate with, the food we eat, and businesses we patronize. In the name of safety the smart people will always discriminate. I listened to the FAA Surgeon General testify in front of Congress in 2003 or 2004 in regards to changing the retirement age to 65 and he testified that it would be a bad idea and used science regarding the aging process for his argument. Cognitave skills go down starting at 55 and really take a hit in the early 60s. All sorts of disease....heart, cancer, and diabetes also manifest at a higher rate as we age. Sure some will do just fine going to 65 but his point was why pass the risk onto the general public. Seems his successor chose to suck up to Oberstar and push this travesty through. On a personal note, my dad is 70 and he started driving like crap at around 62. If he were a pilot I would not wanted to fly with him at the helm. I would not want to babysit him either.