The headline, “Early retirement is unpatriotic,” (BDN, April 8) surely is designed to be provocative. I am almost 68 and have been retired for four years. I have served my country, worked hard, paid my bills and my taxes, and I am not taking Social Security (nor will I). Yet by Dr. Yarrow’s standards I am unpatriotic because I’m not working and paying as much in taxes as I once was. I’m glad he stopped short of saying I am aiding the terrorists.

I am sure it is the sheer number of baby boomers on the verge of leaving the work force that prompts this kind of op-ed piece. It seems a bit like the Y2K panic. It has been obvious for at least a decade that the work force will shrink dramatically during the next 10 years; does Dr. Yarrow really believe that by labeling early retirement as selfish and unpatriotic we can stem this tide?

He does not address the issue of age discrimination in the workplace. Many older workers have been made to feel that they are no longer wanted. Incentives are offered to encourage them to “get out of the way” and let the younger ones take over. Is it surprising that early retirement is an attractive alternative?

Rather than focus on why people should stay in the work force longer, maybe Dr. Yarrow should find out why people are abandoning the workplace and looking forward to retirement even when it may mean a substantial decline in their standard of living. That endeavor might do more good than baiting older workers.

John Nickerson

Belfast