Boomers Abandoned

 THE COMING STORM FOR THE GOLDEN GENERATION: 

How the Boomers Are Being Abandoned

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> “Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent.”

—Psalm 71:9

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🧭 INTRODUCTION: 

From Privilege to Precarity

For decades, the Baby Boomer generation seemed to walk a golden path. 

Born into postwar prosperity, they reaped the benefits of affordable college, a booming job market, generous pensions, and unprecedented medical advances. But that era is rapidly closing. 

Today, Baby Boomers—those aged 60 to 79—face a mounting set of challenges, many of which stem not from natural aging but from shifting political and economic forces.

According to Charley Locke in The Atlantic, Boomers are now facing a triple threat:

▪︎Insecurity in their retirement accounts

▪︎Uncertainty about access to long-term healthcare

▪︎And—for the first time—a real threat to Social Security

This is not just a social issue. From a Catholic perspective, this is a spiritual crisis, a moral test of society's fidelity to the vulnerable. 

Let us explore it deeply through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching, the Gospel, and real examples of how this generation is being left behind.

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🕊️ SECTION 1: The Dignity of the Elderly and the Forgotten Generation

> “Honor your father and mother” (Exodus 20:12)

📌 Key Catholic Teaching:

Every person, from conception to natural death, possesses an inviolable dignity (Genesis 1:27).

The elderly are not burdens to be managed, but living icons of perseverance and wisdom.

💠 But today:

Nursing homes are understaffed and overpriced.

Many Boomers without family support are slipping into poverty.

The narrative of "you had your chance" dehumanizes the vulnerable.

🌈 Examples:

💔 A retired teacher in Ohio, once middle-class, is now working part-time at a gas station to afford insulin.

💔 Widows are skipping meals to save money for prescriptions.

📖 Biblical Support:

> “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.” 

(Proverbs 16:31)

“Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly.” 

(Leviticus 19:32)

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🛠️ SECTION 2: Social Security and the Collapse of the Common Good

> “Woe to those who enact unjust statutes and who write oppressive decrees.”

—Isaiah 10:1

📌 The Catholic Principle of the Common Good:

Society must be structured so that every person can flourish, especially the weak and voiceless.

Social Security is not a handout; it is a promise made by the nation to its citizens.

💠 What’s Happening:

Budget rollbacks and proposed privatization threaten to destabilize the system.

Field offices are closing, delaying access—especially for those who are digitally illiterate or homebound.

🌈 Examples:

📉 Retirees waiting 8–12 months for benefits approval.

📉 Veterans living in cars while their claims remain in limbo.

📖 Biblical Support:

> “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.” (Proverbs 29:7)

“If anyone does not provide for his relatives… he has denied the faith.” (1 Timothy 5:8)

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🩺 SECTION 3: The Health Crisis: The Decline of Long-Term Care Access

> “I was sick and you looked after me.” (Matthew 25:36)

📌 Catholic View of Healthcare:

Healthcare is a human right, especially at the vulnerable ends of life (cf. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, §166).

Long-term care is an act of mercy, not a market commodity.

💠 What’s Going Wrong:

Care homes face labor shortages due to immigration rollbacks.

Medicaid expansion is being reversed in key states.

Drug costs are skyrocketing, affecting chronic disease management.

🌈 Examples:

💊 A man with Parkinson’s has to choose between medication or groceries.

🛏️ A woman in her 70s lies unattended in a care facility that lacks sufficient staff.

📖 Biblical Support:

> “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)

“Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 82:4)

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🤝 SECTION 4: Solidarity and the Broken Covenant Between Generations

> “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” 

(Galatians 6:2)

📌 Principle of Solidarity:

We are responsible not only for ourselves but for each other.

The younger generations, enriched by the Boomers’ legacy, are now called to stand with them, not against them.

💠 Modern Fault Lines:

Narratives of generational blame (“Boomers ruined everything!”) distract from corporate greed and systemic failure.

The Church must bridge the generations: not pit Millennials and Gen Z against their parents and grandparents.

🌈 Examples:

👥 Parishes creating “intergenerational companion” programs.

🏡 Families pooling resources to care for elderly members in-home.

📖 Biblical Support:

> “A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children.” 

(Proverbs 13:22)

“Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others.” 

(Philippians 2:4)

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🙏 SECTION 5: A Catholic Response: From Crisis to Witness

> “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.” (James 1:27)

🎯 What Must Be Done?

✅ Churches and Catholic Laypeople Must Act

🔵 Advocate: Contact legislators about protecting Social Security and Medicare.

🟢 Educate: Hold seminars and distribute literature on Catholic teaching on aging and dignity.

🔴 Support: Offer parish-based assistance—transportation, meals, companionship.

✅ Families Must Reclaim the Vocation of Care

🟡 Multi-generational homes and cooperative caregiving must become a spiritual priority, not just an economic fallback.

✅ Society Must Rebuild Trust

🟠 Reinstate public health funding.

🟣 End the marginalization of the elderly in media and politics.

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🌟 CONCLUSION: 

The Generation that Gave Now Needs Us

> “Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18)

The Baby Boomers helped build the infrastructure, wealth, and culture that many now enjoy. And yet, they now face abandonment in the twilight of life. 

This is not just a policy issue. It is a spiritual barometer for the health of any civilization.

To neglect them is to forget who we are. To serve them is to encounter Christ Himself—frail, forgotten, and still gloriously human.