It's not the skunk's fault that he's a skunk or that he gives off this really bad stink. If I am a skunk, I want to live as a skunk, I want to know what my truth is, to know the person I am without fear.
The public, as a whole, finds reassurance in longevity, and, after the necessary interlude of reaction, is disposed to recognize extreme old age as a sign of excellence. The long-liver has triumphed over at least one of man's initial handicaps: the brevity of life.