User:Juliejones24/Sandbox

History

The Gray Panthers is an organization originally known for it's consultation of older and younger adults for social justice. The group's main goals were to get benefits for senior citizens, and put an end to the Vietnam War. The group operates democratically, so tyranny does not occur. The slogan of the group is "age and youth in action", which is very symbolic of what the group stands for.

Gray Panthers' Founding

The Gray Panthers is an organization which was founded in August of 1970, by Maggie Kahun. Maggie and her core group of friends were preparing to retire from non-profit work field, when they noticed the problems which affected them directly. A startling number of retirees were faced with the loss of income, loss of communication with the outside world and jobs. Although they faced a harsh reality that they may or may no longer play an essential role in society, they discovered a new freedom. They began to speak to college students about their beliefs and even encouraged them to walk with them in their walk of "change". The group of friends wanted to be bigger than their retirement and wanted to accomplish more goals than they'd ever imagine. The group quickly became one of which supported social change. The newly improved group became known as the Consultation of Older and Younger Adults for Social Change. The group quickly became well known and grabbed the attention of more than 100 people the following year of their first meeting.

Gray Panthers' Growth

Soon after the group's first meeting, the group began meeting and acting with others that shared their common interest. The group was praised for it's lively and goal oriented manner. The name "The Gray Panthers" derives from a New York TV talk show producer who though the group was similar to that of the Black Panthers, yet took a much more subtle approach to solving issues. In 1972, Maggie was asked to make an "unscheduled" speech during the 181st General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church in Denver. The speech that was made would be the speech to put the organization on the map. People called into the Philadelphia headquarters to ask questions and gain more information on the unheard of group. The group took part in activities such as rallying for peace in Vietnam, to attending conferences on aging. The groups also believed that "Health Care was a Human Right", which gave the Gray Panthers a strong group of supporters.

Gray Panthers Organize

The Gray Panthers launched a national organization comprised of local networks, expanded and tackled more issues; resulting in the group becoming known as a multi-issue group, challenged the status quo of the seventies and early eighties and became known for its progressive and semi-radical nature. The current headquarters for the Gray Panthers is in Washington, DC. Maggie passed away in 1997, leaving the Gray Panthers without a leader. The national staff re-organized and hired a new Executive Director. In September, 1997 the 11TH Biennial Convention was held. The convention allowed the board to hire new directors and a new chair. This was the next step for the "age and youth in action".

Mission

Work for social and economic justice and peace for all people.

Vision

Create a humane society that puts the needs of people over profits, responsibility over power, and democracy over institutions.

Values

Honoring Maturity: The concept of aging takes into account an individuals growth during their entire life span, from birth to death in personal development, social involvement, and self fulfillment.

Unifying the Generations: Recognition that generations are formed by different histories and cultures, but a common respect holds them together.

Active Engagement: Civic participation and responsibility are fundamental to achieving goals of social and economic justice.

Participatory Democracy: The Gray Panthers belongs to its members. The members define the organization's values, purpose, and the issues in which we place collective energy.

Health Care

Health Care is one of the most important issues that The Gray Panthers stand for. They have worked to popularize the issue over the past twenty years. Their goal is “to create and fund a single-payer, nonprofit and universal health care system.” They focus on the world becoming more conscious of the healthy living. The group had filed several law suits within the past few years, many of which had to deal with unlawful acts by drug companies. An important case which made the Panthers stronger and gain more attention was the Panthers V. Schweiker case of 1980. The Panthers argued that Medicare violated their rights because they were failing to notify elder patients of their reimbursements, which was declared unconstitutional because of their due process rights. A campaign nicknamed (SPAN) which stands for "Stop Patient Abuse Now", was launched in 2001. The campaign was designed to represent patient's rights. The Gray Panthers have also worked to legalize medical marijuana, designed a patient’s bill of rights, and fought for the elimination barriers of stem cell research.

Other Issues

The Gray Panthers also focus on environmental and anti-war movements. They believe that environmental pollution affects those who are less fortunate, women and children, racial minorities and people living in underdeveloped countries. They are pro alternative energy sources, and stresses that the government be more active in supplying some. The Gray Panthers have fought against dishonest sales practices in the hearing aid industry. As strong advocates for affordable and adequate housing for all, the Gray Panthers have influenced fair treatment for all generations.

References

"Age and Youth in Action." Gray Panthers. Web. 03 Oct. 2011. <http://www.graypanthers.org>.
Brown, D. (1998). "Senior power." Social Policy, 28(3), 43–45.
(2001). "Drug manufacturer sued over delayed competition." Mental Health Weekly, 11(19), 8.
Independent Lens. PBS.
Gray Panthers. The Free Dictionary by Farlex.
Gray Panthers. (2008). Issue statements. Gray Panthers: Age and Youth in Action.
"Gray Panthers." (2008). American Law Encyclopedia, Vol. 5.
Sherman, S. (1995). Gray Panthers Manuscript Collection.

Peer Review

Great Job Julie. I really enjoyed reading about the Grey Panthers!! User:Laura.Muro2 (User talk:Laura.Muro2

I really enjoyed reading Gray Panthers. I find your information very useful and I am a strong supporter of find cheaper health care. That is a big thing in the U.S. Hopefully you can provide information that many people can benefit from. The way you are going about this is very useful. Just add pictures now and continue to elaborate. Great job! Emoni12 (talk) 19:03, 17 October 2011 (UTC)