How Old is Too Old?

We hear a lot in social media and on the news regarding concerns about the mental fitness to serve of some elderly leaders in Washington, D.C.  People like President Joe Biden and Senators Mitch McConnel and Diane Feinstein have visibly struggled while speaking, and they have seemed to be plagued by confusion and memory lapses. 

Many of us have had the misfortune of watching friends and relatives succumb to the ravages of Dementia.  It is heartbreaking to see those we love suffer from degenerative brain disease.  It can break the health and finances of the people who provide care for the victims of these illnesses, which are increasing in frequency of occurrence in the United States.  Certainly, the publicity surrounding Dementia has heightened public awareness. 

Consequently, we can empathize with those of our leaders who seem to be struggling. Hopefully, we will be careful about criticism involving their fitness to lead. 

There has been support among some for legislating a mandatory retirement age for elected officials.  Most federal civil service jobs have a mandatory retirement age of 65 years.  The downside is that to receive federal retirement benefits, one must work for 20 years.  Therefore, persons who are over 45 years of age are not allowed to apply for federal civil service employment.  That is age discrimination.  Obviously, these rules do not apply to elected officials like the president, senators, or congressmen, however, in my opinion the same principle – age discrimination – applies to a mandatory retirement age for them. 

Many people are fortunate enough to be of sound mind and in good health well into their seventies, and a few can even make a significant contribution in their eighties.  In my opinion, they should not be prevented from doing so because an arbitrary number of years has been legislated that prohibits it. 

It is reasonable for officials who are over an agreed upon and legally defined age to undergo a competency evaluation based on objective, quantifiable criteria.  It is wrong for our elected officials to be disqualified based on professional opinion, which is founded on theory or may be swayed by political bias.  Any test of mental capacity for elderly representatives should not be so difficult that it cannot be passed by a majority of the younger persons holding the same office. 

There are a few things you should know in the interest of full disclosure.  I have personally experienced caring for family members with Dementia.  In years past, I have been prevented from applying for federal civil service employment that I was eminently qualified for because I was over 45 years old, and I think I was discriminated against on the basis of age.  I am now 75 years old, healthy, and in full possession of my mental faculties.  Therefore, you might say I have a dog in this fight. 

Finally, the best interest of our nation could be harmed by allowing mentally impaired persons to serve in high office.  That must not be permitted to happen.  We must, however, have safeguards in place to prevent decisions about mental competence to serve from being manipulated for partisan political ends.