We complain that 15.3 % of our taxes go to Social Security, a number that will continue to rise as the average age of our population rises. I find it incredibly vexatious that we as a nation gripe about how the government continues to boost the amount of money we as taxpayers give to Social Security and Medicare. It's almost comical: we put our parents and grandparents into homes and expect that with a little bit of money and biannual visits, the nuisance and responsibility of caring for them will be taken care of.
We should take a cue from other countries; India views its elderly as venerable, respected. The older relatives live with their younger family members who care for and nurture them. This mirrors the kind of fostering these now elderly people gave to their children as infants.
If we saw our senior relatives as worthy of great respect and love, would we put them into retirement homes and expect that their monthly Social Security check will provide their every need?
Personally, I feel that the United States should care for its elderly as India does. If people saw more worth in their elderly relatives, perhaps we would give more than the 15.3% we are required ( forced) to pay. It should be integral that we sacrifice for our elderly the same kind of sacrifice they gave to us as children. Rather than cram senior citizens into retirement homes, we should take them into our homes. Instead of reluctantly giving the required tax money toward elderly health care, we should graciously aid our older relatives transition into their most vulnerable stage of life.
If we as a nation could end world hunger by donating our ice cream money, think of what we could do if we genuinely invested in our elderly.
No comments:
Post a Comment