There are over 300 million people in this country alone. The fact that anecdotes about ageism exist means almost literally nothing. There needs to be actual <i>data</i> that there is a problem.<p>Several people just won over $100 million in the lottery. Just because you know one of them doesn&#x27;t make your anecdote about lottery players a valid basis for writing an article encouraging readers to try the lottery.<p>Without evidence, without actual data, attempting to make an argument about a societal trend is less than useless, it is just empty rhetoric that only exists to distract from actual discussions that might have a chance of encouraging positive change. &quot;Anecdotes&quot; and &quot;stories&quot; and &quot;opinions&quot; might have value, but in this context they can only be used to illustrate a point. Not as the basis for making that point.<p>Total dismissal is warranted. This guy isn&#x27;t a family member or friend venting to you, this is a guy publishing an op-ed on a big website. It requires either solid logic or data. He provides neither.