# Whatever happened to the Grey Panthers organization?



## i_am_Lois (Mar 15, 2014)

I know they were founded in 1970 and I would read in the news about their position on various subjects. I can't recall hearing from this group since about 2003. Does anyone know if they are still active?


----------



## Denise1952 (Mar 15, 2014)

You mean the black panthers, or was there a grey panthers too?

oh, should have googled first, I see it was Grey Panthers.  I don't know a thing about them, sorry Lois, duh


----------



## SifuPhil (Mar 15, 2014)

There's a good article that just came out in today's NY Times concerning the Panthers - seems that since the death of their founder in 1995 the movement has slowly lost steam. The AARP took over most of the media coverage for seniors and since Occupy Wall Street the more activist groups have lost favor.


----------



## That Guy (Mar 15, 2014)

They're going strong in Santa Cruz, CA.


----------



## Ina (Mar 15, 2014)

I believe that Phil, very interesting.


----------



## Falcon (Mar 15, 2014)

That Guy said:


> They're going strong in Santa Cruz, CA.



No surprise there Guy.


----------



## That Guy (Mar 15, 2014)

Well, I only know about the Grey Bears.  As for Grey Panthers . . .   Do you mean ... ???


----------



## i_am_Lois (Mar 15, 2014)

Phil, I don't trust the AARP. 
http://www.gop.gov/policy-news/09/09/22/aarp-helping-seniors-or-helping
As a personal experience related to AARP's self serving recommendations, my parents invested in a company called Advanta.
They did so solely on a AARP article published in their magazine which recommended investing funds in Advanta.
Advanta went bankrupt and my parents lost every penny. 
It was not a federally insured company.I am talking about their entire life's savings, several hundred thousand dollars.
The whole Advanta thing went to court. I've read articles which state that AARP got a kickback from Advanta for every AARP member who invested. 
AARP had no comment.
I think the government should have held AARP responsible for it's part, but it only went after Advanta.
Both parents died penniless. Since then my sister and myself (as their heirs) receive a small check every couple years from Advavta,
in it's court mandated attempts at restitution.


----------



## SifuPhil (Mar 15, 2014)

I'm sorry to hear what happened to your parents, Lois. It might perhaps serve as an object lesson to be extremely careful when doing any kind of investing.

I'm actually eligible now to join AARP, but to paraphrase Groucho Marx - "I don't want to be a member of any club that would have me as one". I don't want or need AARP's supposed buying power and I know, deep down in the pit of my soul, that no organization is ever going to care as much for me as I do. I would rather take the money I would give them and invest it in myself.


----------



## Happyflowerlady (Mar 15, 2014)

AARP started losing members when they started supporting Obama and then Obamacare ,and there were videos of them not letting members speak at AARP meetings when they were opposed to what AARP was supporting. They actually had people thrown out of the building, when they were only trying to nicely express their opinion.
I belong to American Seniors, which is the more moderate version, and has about the same benefits for their members.
Since AARP has been around for such a long time, and they didn't used to be so politically motivated at first, they still have some of the extra discounts from places, that American Seniors, or any of the other new groups, doesn't have.
We get offers to join them all the time, and they all go right into the trash.


----------



## SifuPhil (Mar 15, 2014)

Hmph. Until this thread I never thought that AARP was such a political beastie - I just thought they gave you discounts on little flashlights with their logo on them, or offered free maps (Triptychs, were they called?) for your trips.

Thanks for the education, folks. :encouragement:


----------



## That Guy (Mar 15, 2014)

The AARP has bothered me for some reason for many years.  Glad I'm just not the joining type . . .   Well, I did join the Boy Scouts . . . and Uncle Sham's Military . . . and a surf club . . . and a union.  But, I am not a joiner.


----------



## SifuPhil (Mar 15, 2014)

DOH!

As I have just been reminded, my little talk about getting flashlights and maps applies to the AAA, NOT the AARP.

How embarrassing ... :cower:


----------



## Gael (Mar 16, 2014)

And their website:
http://www.graypanthers.org/


----------



## SifuPhil (Mar 16, 2014)

I don't get the youths joining the Panthers - kind of defeats the entire purpose of giving seniors a voice, as if they won't be heard unless they bring in youngsters.

It weakens them, in my opinion.


----------



## Rain Adkins (Feb 19, 2018)

They're on Facebook under both spellings (Gray/Grey, presumably the American and British groups.) I just found them and don't know how active they are.


----------



## Smiling Jane (Feb 19, 2018)

The Gray Panthers did something very helpful in a city where I lived -- they got our walk signals lengthened to make street crossing easier for seniors, people with disabilities and parents of young children.

A couple of people got hit and the problem was brought to the attention of Maggie Kuhn. She was fierce.


----------

