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Mountain Views-News Saturday, January 20, 2024 

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SENIOR HAPPENINGS


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …JANUARY BIRTHDAYS*

Gerald Day, Mary Tassop, Judy Webb-Martin, John Johnson, Mary 
Bickel, Marlene Enmark, Shirley Wolf, Ross Kellock, Ruth Wolter, 
Sandy Thistlewaite, Bobbi Rahmanian, Fran Syverson, Judy Zaretzka 
and Becky Evans. * To add your name to this distinguished list, 
please call the paper at 626.355.2737. YEAR of birth not required


HOW TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST AGE DISCRIMINATION

Dear Savvy Senior:

What are the steps to take to fight against age 
discrimination in the workplace, and where can I turn 
to for help if I think I’ve got a case?

Passed Over Paul

Dear Paul:

If you believe your age has cost you in the workplace 
– whether it’s a job, a promotion, or a raise – you 
have options for fighting back. Here’s what you 
should know along with some steps to take against 
this illegal workplace activity. 

ADEA Protection

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) 
is your first defense against age discrimination. This 
is a federal law that says an employer cannot fire, 
refuse to hire, or treat you differently than other 
employees because of your age. Some examples of 
age discrimination include:

 You were fired because your boss wanted to keep 
younger workers who are paid less.

You were turned down for a promotion, which 
went to someone younger hired from outside the 
company, because the boss says the company “needs 
new blood.”

When company layoffs are announced, most of the 
persons laid off were older, while younger workers 
with less seniority and less on-the-job experience 
were kept on.

Before you were fired, your supervisor made age-
related remarks about you.

You didn’t get hired because the employer wanted a 
younger-looking person to do the job.

 The ADEA protects all workers and job applicants 
age 40 and over who work for employers that have 
20 or more employees – including federal, state and 
local governments as well as employment agencies 
and labor unions.

 If your workplace has fewer than 20 employees, 
you may still be protected under your state’s anti-age 
discrimination law.

Steps to Take

 If you think you are a victim of employment age 
discrimination, you may first want to talk to your 
supervisor informally or file a formal complaint 
with your company’s human resources department.

 If that doesn’t resolve the problem, you should 
then file a charge with the Equal Employment 
Opportunity Commission (EEOC) within 180 days 
from the date of the alleged violation, but it may be 
extended to 300 days. You can do this online, by 
mail or in person at your nearest EEOC office (see 
EEOC.gov/field-office) or call 800-669-4000. They 
will help you through the filing process and let you 
know if you should also file a charge with your state 
anti-discrimination agency.

 If you do file, be prepared to provide the names 
of potential witnesses, your notes about age-related 
comments and other episodes.

 Once the charge is filed, the EEOC will investigate 
your complaint and find either reasonable cause to 
believe that age discrimination has occurred, or no 
cause and no basis for a claim. After the investigation, 
the EEOC will then send you their findings along 
with a “notice-of-right-to-sue,” which gives you 
permission to file a lawsuit in a court of law.

 If you decide to sue, you’ll need to hire a lawyer who 
specializes in employee discharge suits. To find one, 
see the National Employment Lawyers Association 
at NELA.org, or your state bar association at 
FindLegalHelp.org.

 If you lose your job in a group termination or 
layoff, you should consider joining forces with other 
colleagues. There are advantages to proceeding as a 
group, including sharing costs of the litigation and 
strengthening your negotiating position.

 Another option you may want to consider is 
mediation, which is a fair and efficient way to help 
you resolve your employment disputes and reach 
an agreement. The EEOC offers mediation at no 
cost if your current or former employer agrees to 
participate. At mediation, you show up with your 
evidence, your employer presents theirs and the 
mediator makes a determination within a day or less.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, 
Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is 
a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The 
Savvy Senior” book.


Michele Silence, M.A. is a 37-year certified fitness professional 
who offers semi-private/virtual fitness classes 
and a weight management support group. If you have 
questions or ideas for this column 

Contact Michele at michele@kid-fit.com. 

Visit her Facebook page at: michelesfitness.

RAISE YOUR HAND…

…if you’d like to get heart disease. Raise your hand 
if the thought of becoming diabetic (or staying that 
way) is appealing to you. Raise your hand if you are 
good with giving up 10 years of your life. Any takers? I 
doubt anyone reading will be raising a hand.

So if we don’t want to get heart disease, diabetes, or 
live shorter lives, why are we so resistant to things that 
have been proven repeatedly to help us avoid them? 
One such example is a recent twin study conducted 
by Stanford Medicine researchers and published on 
Nov. 30 in JAMA Network Open. Additionally, you 
can watch the new Netflix docuseries, which details 
the research and allows you to follow different pairs 
of twins who are assigned either to a 'healthy' standard 
American diet or a healthy vegan diet for 2 months. 
The series is quite entertaining and shows the anguish all the twins experienced, stressing over whether they 
would be assigned to the vegan eating plan. You would think that one twin in each pair was about to be asked 
to sacrifice a limb. After all, what could be worse than the horror of eating a plant-based diet?

If you’re interested in learning more, as I was 10 years ago, there are numerous documentaries that illustrate 
the damage our diet inflicts on our health. This has been proven for years: we know how to lower your risk 
of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and other serious medical conditions. 

And let’s not forget about the environment. We are exhausting the land used for animal agriculture, forcing 
the continued deforestation of more and more forests. But in the long run, this approach won't be enough; it 
simply can't be sustained. 

If these two reasons aren't convincing enough, consider the compassion for the pain and suffering inflicted 
on animals bred solely to be pumped full of hormones, vaccines and high-calorie feeds. These animals grow 
abnormally fast, live in crowded, filthy conditions, have their babies ripped away from them over and over, 
and are slaughtered by the millions every day, as if they have no feelings, no fear, no right to a peaceful life. If 
you can look at your dog or cat and imagine that life and death for them, you might feel a twinge of sadness 
for how we treat these other beings. They are not worthy because they aren't the animals we typically keep 
as pets.

Am I advocating that everyone become vegan? Of course it would be nice but at this point in time the 
country isn’t ready for it. Animal agriculture isn’t ready for it. Although more and more farmers are shutting 
down their facilities. Many people are not yet willing to confront the full reality of what it takes to bring a 
steak to their plate. The water required, how much land is needed, filthy living conditions, waste that leaches 
into water supplies, the illnesses it causes, and on and on and on. But if everyone simply ate more plants and 
less animal products it would be a good start, to benefit all.

Perhaps we all need to examine why change is so hard, even when we know it’s in our absolute best interest. 
Is the taste of cheese worth sacrificing years of your life? Is eating bacon worth the ethical cost of confining 
a pig in a crate where it can never turn around or sit down for its entire life? Do we really want to continue 
polluting our land, air, and water, especially when we could instead be consuming the very foods we feed 
these animals?

With all these benefits in mind, how have we reached a point where those on plant-based diets are viewed as 
odd or extreme? And why does the idea of eating a different kind of hamburger seem to many like a threat to 
the enjoyment of life? People who quit smoking are not referred to as weird.

To learn more, check out the docuseries reference above and these other excellent movies about food, lifestyle 
and health:

• You Are What You Eat (Twin study and diet)

• Blue Zones (Regions where people live the longest lives)

• What The Health (Diet and disease)

• The Game Changers (Plant based eating for athletes)

• Cowspiracy (Animal agriculture and the environment)

• Forks Over Knives (Diet and chronic disease)

One thing is for sure. After watching any of these films you will definitely walk away saying “I didn’t know 
that” at least a few times. Knowledge is what allows us all to make informed decisions in life. Those decisions 
can help us live longer, healthier and happier lives. I think we can all raise our hands to that.


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder

I'M NOT DIABETIC BUT I AM A SWEET GUY!

Lately, I've been very tired. Which has nothing at all to do with my age. Rather, 
it has everything to do with all these spam calls I get every day.

It seems most spam calls come during lunchtime when I’m eating. How dare 
they? I don't know who created this idea of spam calls, but I would like five 
minutes alone with them. If you know what I mean.

 For me, it began with my expired car warranty. I would get calls daily telling me that my 
car war-ranty had expired and that I could remedy that situation by signing up with their 
warranty pro-gram. They have everything I need, so they say. What I really need is an 
Apple Fritter. Nobody’s ever offered me that. One thing they did not have was my fist in 
their nose. But that's another story. 

 Finally, I responded to their calls by telling them that I had a 1915 Ford Model T, with 
only 896,000 miles on it. I had so many clicks following this that I couldn’t count them. 
Thanks Henry Ford. The in-person calls are annoying, but it is the recorded calls that I just 
don't like. I've been getting recorded calls saying that two years ago I had an accident and 
they would be glad to help me get the money I deserve. If I had an accident two years ago, 
I must've been asleep at the wheel. Companies that call me with a recorded message will 
never get my business.

 Then there are those Medicare calls wanting to upgrade my coverage at no cost to me.

One of the first things they want to know is my age. I get so sick and tired of this that after 
a while I came up with my story. "So, how old are you sir?" My response, "Well, I tell you, 
that is a difficult answer because every year my age changes, and I get confused, and I can't 
keep up with my actual age." There's a chuckle on the other end of the line and the person 
says, "So, when is your birthday?" Again, my response is, "Well, my birthday is the day I 
celebrate being born." I sense a little frustration on the other line, and then they say, "Tell 
me what day your birthday is on." "Well, one year it’s on a Tuesday, and the next year it's on 
a Thursday, and then it's on a Saturday, and boy, I can't keep up with it." Finally, I hear what 
I've been waiting for: a click from the other end of the line.

 I don't think my age or birthday is anybody's business but mine. If I want somebody to 
know that information, I'll call them myself. When somebody I don't know calls me and 
asks for personal information, I will not cooperate. If these spam callers act foolish, I will 
reciprocate and act foolish to them. I’m a good actor, so says The Gracious Mistress of the 
Parsonage.

 I'm often confused when someone calls me and wants me to tell them when they can 
deliver some medical equipment that will not cost me anything. It will be absolutely free.

Of course, if I want some medical equipment, I'm going to go through my doctor. After all, 
that's why I pay him all that money. I would like to know how much money these spammers 
make doing the kind of job they do. They must be making money, or they wouldn't always 
be calling. Where do they get the money, and who in the world would be foolish enough 
to give them personal information? One person asked for my Social Security number, so 
I gave him 123-45-6789. That has to be somebody's security number, but it certainly isn't 
mine.

 Then the latest thing is that some spammer calls me and tells me that they are sending 
me some medical equipment to help me with my diabetes. And, (drumroll) it won't cost me 
anything. I know when somebody says it's not costing me anything, it will definitely cost 
me something. "So, sir," the spammer said, "do you have diabetes?" Why in the world do 
they call me thinking I have diabetes? Where are they getting that infor-mation? I know 
they haven't talked to my doctor about it.

Then I had an idea. The next time a spammer called me and asked if I had diabetes, I said, 
"I'm not diabetic, but I am a sweet guy." After doing that several times, one person angrily 
said, "Are you hitting on me?" "No," I said, "but I sure would like to hit you."

 The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage often tells me not to answer any of those calls. 
I explain to her I need to have fun and make it hard on some of these scammers. After 
all, don't you get what you give? There was a pause in those annoying calls and I had an 
opportunity to think about a Bible verse.

 David said in Psalm 18:3, “I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I 
be saved from mine enemies.” My thought was, no call from me could ever annoy God. He 
is waiting for me to call upon him. Whenever I call upon God, He is anxious to respond to 
my need. God doesn’t look on me as a spammer, but a claimer of His amazing grace.

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com