Baby Boomers Have Clout in Establishing Policy

COMMENTARY | Whether you use the number of baby boomers born and raised in the United States--72 million--or the number of baby boomers born here and the additional immigrants in the same age bracket--79 million--that represents a large chunk of the total voting population. Baby boomers represent at least 28 percent of the total U.S. population.

Boomers represent a diverse population in terms of age ranges--those born between 1946 and 1964--ethnic and cultural backgrounds and education levels. "Power to the people," a phrase popular during the 1960s, is represented in boomer numbers.

Now, if we could all work together to reach common goals, we might positively affect change in governmental policy on all levels. Where would we begin? Perhaps with the current nuclear crisis in Japan. "New Scientist" is advocating the immediate development of a tracking system to monitor health effects of all levels of radiation. Boomers could get behind that recommendation by contacting elected officials and expressing their concerns, both for this generation and those to come.

Another issue facing the boomer generation is the growing gap in health care available to aging adults. Geriatrics and gerontology as health and medical specialties are near the bottom of the list in numbers of professional caregivers available. The "Miami Herald" reports that by 2030, our nation will face a shortage of physicians numbering over 100,000.

This will impact the nation as a whole, but particularly so the boomer generation because of the complexity of health care issues in older adults.

Now is the time to ask for action in this area; it takes time to develop programs and subsidies to induce people to study medicine and more specifically, medicine for senior adults. AARP is a powerful voice in both state and federal issues with its millions of members, but boomers cannot simply let AARP be our only voice.

In our youth, many boomers railed against the establishment; now we are the establishment. It's time for us to remember the values of our youth and make them realities for everyone's benefit.

Smack dab in the middle of the baby boomer generation, L.L. Woodard is a proud resident of "The Red Man" state. With what he hopes is an everyman's view of life's concerns both in his state and throughout the nation, Woodard presents facts and opinions based on common-sense solutions.