THE RIGID ASSUMPTIONS UNDERLYING AMERICAN SOCIETY'S CONCEPT OF AGING HAVE BEEN USED TO JUSTIFY LAWS AND SOCIAL STANDARDS THAT RELEGATE MANY OLDER PERSONS TO POVERTY, ALLOW FORCIBLE INTERVENTION IN INDIVIDUAL LIFE STYLES, AND IGNORE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS. A JUST SOCIETY MAY BE DEFINED AS ONE THAT PROTECTS AND PROMOTES A GOOD LIFE FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL EQUALLY. INEQUALITIES IN AMERICAN SOCIETY THAT AFFECT ELDERLY PERSONS ARE REFLECTED IN THE LACK OF BOTH SOCIAL OPPORTUNITIES AND SOCIETAL PROTECTION. ECONOMIC, PHYSICAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL INEQUALITIES MAKE THE ELDERLY PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE BOTH TO CRIME AND TO THE FEAR OF CRIME. SUCH VICTIMIZATION IS A NATURAL COROLLARY OF A SOCIETY THAT FAILS TO GUARANTEE EQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF JUSTICE TO ALL CITIZENS. UNTIL IT IS RECOGNIZED THAT VICTIMIZATION OF THE OLDER PERSON IS NOT AN ISOLATED EXPERIENCE AND THAT ALLEVIATION OF THE PROBLEM DEMANDS FULL SOCIETAL INVOLVEMENT, THERE CAN BE LITTLE REDUCTION OF THE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL INEQUALITIES OPPRESSING THE ELDERLY.