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Comment by pbhjpbhj | Hacker News Reader

>Yet it would be absurd to claim that this constitutes ageism towards young people. //

Can you walk me through this?

A pensioner is a millionaire, say, and gets a free bus pass (OAPs in the UK are entitle to a travel pass regardless of their financial position). A school child wants to get to school but can't afford the bus so has to walk 2.9 miles each way to school.

How is it not ageism that based only on age the pensioner gets a bus pass and the child doesn't? You can argue that the ageism is justified as the general principle is sound (for example) but it's still ageism - discrimination based solely on the age of the subjects.

The child could be disabled, they still wouldn't necessarily qualify for a bus pass.

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Can you walk me through this?

Read the last sentence in my post: It is understood that being old is in many ways a handicap, and by discriminating positively, we seek to lessen that handicap.

You wrote:

but it's still ageism - discrimination based solely on the age of the subjects.

I disagree with this definition of ageism. Ageism is not simply discrimination based on age. If it were, then requiring people to be of a certain age to vote, drive a car etc. would also be ageist. Ageism implies injustice.

That's not discrimination against young people because it's not saying that young people aren't allowed to ride the bus, just that they have to pay the regular price. (Also, most children in the U.S. are bused to school for free. Is that not the way it is in the UK?)

So, it's OK if normal seating is at the back of the buss, but white only premium seating is at the front?

If you have to make this kind of leap to support your argument, you don't have an argument.

What leap? You said normal vs premium was perfectly acceptable? Premium aircraft seating was at the front of the aircraft... How about if we call the back of the bus the 'premium area' and exclude whites?

PS: If you don't defend your argument, I am going to assume you already conceded defeat.

You're just twisting the words. Your way it's not discrimination to say that European people can ride the bus free but Asians have to pay?

[Aside: where we are the closest suitable [high] school must be more than 3miles away in order for you to get a free pass.]

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