AARP: Abandoning Older Adults To Serve Young Adults?

If you read the recent Roland Hansen Commentary AARP: Is the AARP Deceptive? then you already realize I have my questions of the legitimacy of AARP.

On the other hand, my ignorance really was exposed on the AARP issue when I read the hard copy October 27, 2009 USA Today article AARP starts youth movement by Laura Petrecca. Click on the following embedded link to read the USA online copy of that article which is entitled AARP offering financial advice to those in their 20s, 30s, and then feel free to provide your comments about AARP.

I am now convinced more than ever that I made the correct decision for myself when I did not renew my AARP membership. I think others such as myself, i.e. persons of retirement age, should have a real organization to represent our interests. It is clear to me that AARP has abandoned us.

Not Again

Did you read the immediately preceding Roland Hansen Commentary Boycott Kroger, and if you did read it, did you also read all the comments attached to it? I ask because if you have read those comments, you will have read my reference with its embedded link to the blog entry about Kroger on Glass City Jungle by Lisa Renee Ward.

It has been some time since I have written over on Glass City Jungle, but I thought I would give it another try. My reception was less than cool as you can judge for yourself by reading the excerpt below that had been posted as a response to me:

Not Again Says:

Roland makes me laugh. I think he would be pleased if obama would nationalize kroger and make them put a free soup kitchen in toledo. Kroger is dangerous, wrong thinking, and the worst of all, wants to make money. Ahhh, that is the way a progressive thinks.

Did you notice what Roland said in his blog? He said. “I have decided that people in Toledo, Ohio should boycott Kroger.” Roland knows what is best for us, because we are all, just stupid.

We will all be better off if we just let the progressives tell us what to do.

Aren’t they great, the progressives, I mean! We are all stupid, and only people like he, know what is right for us.

Well, upon reading that, I was reminded by Lisa Renee why I had stopped commenting over at Glass City Jungle when she wrote in that same message thread "Roland, .... you don’t participate here anymore because you don’t like the fact that I allow people to post without using their real names." Lisa Renee is indeed correct, or perhaps I should state she is partially correct. A more complete explanation may be read in this other previous Roland Hansen Commentary which also made a reference to the anonymous coward known as Not Again.

Glass City Jungle has a page Rules of Engagement in which one of the rules states, in part: Civil discourse is the goal, repeated personal insults directed at other members of the blog ... will be edited/deleted.

To me, the phrase "repeated personal insults' should be interpreted to include a history of making such comments. I further believe that a person who has such a history should be banned rather than just deleting the crude rude comments of the abuser. To me, cyber emotional abuse is of equal concern as real time in your face in-person emotional abuse, spousal abuse, child abuse, and elder abuse. Cyber emotional abuse in the form of commentary practiced by Not Again. An abuser is an abuser is an abuser!

All persons who make public comments should be held accountable and all persons who allow such comments to be publicly published need to be held responsible. Enabling an abuser is not being responsible.

The fact that the 'poster joker' known as Not Again continues to be allowed over on Glass City Jungle to write personal attacks that are not in keeping with what I would consider civil discourse has reinforced my own rationale for not commenting on the blog Glass City Jungle of Lisa Renee Ward. To my chagrin, I feel morally compelled to return to my status as a nonparticipant on Glass City Jungle. In good conscience, I cannot be a participant in a public forum that permits people with a long standing history of making numerous and continuous inflammatory statements and personal attacks a public forum to express fighting words.

Boycott Kroger

I have decided that people in Toledo, Ohio should boycott Kroger. But then again, that is just my own personal opinion.

If you wonder why, then click on over to read Judy's Jewels Co-op.

For far too long, Kroger has had a stranglehold on the Toledo grocery market. And now, it appears that Kroger feels absolutely no loyalty or commitment to its Toledo customers. And yet, Kroger has the audacity to suggest that the City of Toledo (read that as Toledo taxpayers) build a new store for them.

I say it is time to boycott Kroger. Maybe then, other grocery stores will have more of an appearance in Toledo and just maybe, just maybe, Kroger will be more responsive and responsible to the Toledo market.

A few suggestions for new grocers in the Toledo market include Sprouts, Trader Joes, and Whole Foods. Meanwhile, perhaps Giant Eagle and Food Town may expand their Toledo market presence.

What do you say?

Let's start Boycott Kroger in Toledo NOW!!!!

Is Ford Motor Company UnAmerican?

Well, I gotta tell ya, oftentimes I am amazed at the large number of people who cry about foreign companies who own and operate facilities in the United States claiming the USA is being bought and paid for by foreign interests, but nary a word from them when it is "American" companies who are doing likewise in other countries.

Remember, Henry Ford who revolutionized the American auto industry? Remember when the Model T represented the affordability of auto ownership for all Americans? Remember when the Ford Motor Company was as American as apple pie?

Remember this news article announcing that Ford was closing down a whole bunch of American manufacturing plants and putting thousands of Americans out of work? Do you know that the former all-American Ford Motor Company is global?

I recently read the article Ford to build new assembly plant in China and I remembered that I had previously read something about Ford manufacturing cars in India. That got me to thinking and I did some more research on the wide wonderful world of the internet. In doing so, I came across the article Ford Makes Push to Boost Asian Presence. It seems to me that Ford continues to expand its business overseas while continuing to downsize its American workforce. Gee, I wonder if Ford Motor Company is moving to India.


All of this seems to give new meaning to the phrase "Buy American." Is there really such a thing as an American car company any more?

Is Ford Motor Company UnAmerican?

Judy Hansen for Lucas County Commissioner?

I wonder if you remember the Roland Hansen Commentary Lucas County Commissioner in 2010.

Well, it appears that the possible previous candidate for Lucas County Commissioner with whom I had spoken has decided against running for Lucas County Commissioner in 2010.

Hopefully, you familiar with all the Roland Hansen Commentary Ben Konop entries.

If you have read all that, then you know why I think it is imperative that Ben Konop be replaced as a Lucas County Commissioner.

So, now, I think that my wife, Judy Hansen, should be put forth as a candidate for Lucas County Commissioner in 2010. What do you think? Should Judy Hansen be Running for Lucas County Commissioner or Not?

AARP: Is the AARP Deceptive?

You've heard of AARP, the American Association of Retired Persons.

Well, I have been wondering about the honesty, truthfulness, and sincerity as it relates to the stated and inferred purpose, goal, and mission of AARP for a long time now.

First off, this organization formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons is NOT an organization of and for retired persons. AARP allows and solicits persons age 50 and over, retired or not.

Then there is another small area of concern of mine that the AARP acts more like a propietary organization than a nonprofit organization. It seems to me that the AARP which promotes itself as "a membership organization leading positive social change and delivering value to people age 50 and over through information, advocacy and service" is more attune to dealing in and hawking the sale of various kinds of insurance such as automobile, motorcycle, home, mobile home, long-term care, life, health, hopiital cash benefits, dental, and the like than it is to the overall inferred purpose as an advocay organization for retired persons. There's also the annuities that AARP promotes to the members for purchase - er, I mean investment. Heck, AARP even hawks its own credit card label. I wonder what kind of sweetheart deal exists between the paid executive staff of AARP and all the "vendors" that are promoted ad nauseum to AARP members.

Oh, yeah, sure, the AARP offers its members discount deals on such things as hotels, motels, car rentals, air fare, cruises, and such other drivel to stimulate public interest in joining the AARP as it continues its cozy arrangement to contribute to full employment by expanding and maintaining jobs for its paid staff. Oh yeah, the paid executive staff also does some lobbying and recruits the AARP members to volunteer their own time and effort to the lobbying causes that the staff promote.

Well, enough of all that. Is the AARP untruthful, dishonest, deceptive, and misrepresentative it its name or is it just a matter of a misnomer?