How Long Before Respect and Courtesy Return?
Posted: Friday, February 10, 2006
by straight talk
Certainly this is just one mans opinion. However, one asks just how long do we all need to go before we regain common courtesy and respect in society? I for one am tired of the abuse at the hands of ignorant, racist and belligerent individuals whom our society demands we treat politically correct and with kit gloves. I sincerely believe we should all practice humbleness and compassion. However, when meekness nd compassion is taken for granted and a sign of weakness for practicing "love of neighbor", then something must change. Do you think I’m wrong, then for a start why not speak to someone in education.
Sadly, when these individuals are confronted for their action they play their trump card. They get loud, lie, become abusive, arrogant, confrontational and in general shout you down. They most certainly play the fear card which implies by their tone legal, or even physical retort. They most certainly imply their parents will be at the door and have your job, Regretfully these are the same people who created this situation and don't care to deal with it. That is their ace in the whole. Good people would rather walk away then get involved. It is more legal and other hassels for them so the answer is sadly to just pass them along and let someone else handle it. However and regretfully, all we do is encourage these types to propagate more of the same. Once again, if you think I’m wrong, then you don’t want to admit it regardless of who you are. As mentioned, these people have no respect for anyone much less their parents or family. Sadly, many don’t even have a family. They do not know who their parents are. They have had multiple parents and those they now live with act the same as them, are non interested or have given up. These people, young and old alike, go around abusing anyone they can for their own self interest and gain. Plying on the lonely and fearful they abuse, steal, ruin and cheat and in the end discard.
Then there are the others who have been diagnosed with some form of medical or phycological disorder A.D.D., A.D.H.D. or any number of other other illnesses. Certainly, their problems are not due to their choice of attitude but because of a disorder. Yet, they have to be dealt with as well. Many times they are the results of drugs, alcohol, broken homes, excessive discipline or other abuses by the parents or foster parents. Society is now required to include these children in classes at the expense of all others. Teachers have to learn to teach down to the lowest level and we have to learn to tolorate their outbursts and their disruption. Certainly one can understand every parent wants the best for their child. No parent wants their child excluded. However, I ask can they be doing more harm then good? You see their child trying to compete with others who do not have a problem. They become the focus of cruel jokes and their self esteem is literally destroyed. We all agree that these children need to learn and be assimilated into society but what are we doing to help them under the present system?
Well, like it or not, I got news for them. As for those without medical problems, I owe nothing to the rude and arrogant except that which they request I deal to them through their actions. I will give respect only if respected. I owe them nothing of anything, especially what history or others may have done. Let them take that up with the they who supposedly abused them! These types, without exception, expect we must tolorate what they deem appropriate while showing no desire to be considerate toward anyone but themselves. These are the same people who think they are some kind of bad but have never met the truly bad! As for those with an illness, i do believe some of the programs are helping. However, these children themselves do not want to be included and seek these courses over regular for the reasons mentioned.
Society is forced to to accept this by those who formulate the theory but never have to deal with it themselves? These are the ones with Masters and Doctor degrees who have no common sense at all! Book smart, everyday stupid. When are we going to draw the line? Well it will never happen because we have created the very monster we are all afraid of. What does this speak to? Well, sadly, it speaks to the animal element of mankind who we have created by our failure to instill discipline, respect and core values of character in the formation years. Many will blame poverty, discrimination, history and circumstance and a host of other problems. However, I say none of these ever kept good people down or made them rude. In fact the opposite was true. Most hard working poor were and are humble, polite and courteous. Hard work, character, values, integrity and good will overcame much. There is a host of living examples which could fill pages. If you look you will find them and most likely close by and it is not dictated by race, religion or origin. I see it in the White, Black and Latino teachers who must live with these conditions each and every day.
We all know there are just too many situations and words to write that could fill volumes. As mentioned, there are many children with problems not of their chosing. There is no easy answer other than to say while the old days were not perfect they did have a sense of order. Respect was earned not demanded. Perhaps therein lies the answer? Perhaps step one is to tighten the environment we school our children in. While we protect their rights we must also understand many of us lived through the ruler on the hand, bad teacher syndrome and survived. Many, like myself had to get through the system with my own learning disorders and no one made excuses for me. I still have to learn in a different way then those who can just hear it and get the answer. Does that mean I can't succeed? No, it means I need to have teachers who can teach! Yet, it also means I must respect those teachers to allow them to do their job. I must also participate and I must understand this at an early age so that I can recognize what I need to become a effective learner. In other words you don't give me a cop out for bad behavior if you want me to fit into society. If anything I may have to learn a hard lesson while being saved from not learning a far harder lesson. Also, I took the penalty when wrong and mom and dad usually added the period!
Well some say, we know more now and that is true. You say these are different times we live in and I will most certainly agree. However, there is another fundamental element that is gone. Yes, gone by design and by objective. That is the family as a unit. Until we as a nation recognize our strength lies in the family unit and the good core values of love, sharing and unity our country, and unfortunately the world, will continue to deteriorate. We must realize this as family people, that to the rich, who have no need to live in our society, nor have any share in our problems, this entire issue means nothing. It belongs to the working man! They could care less about what we undergo. Yes, they will superficially tell us they are attempting to solve this complex problem. They, with all their wealth, education, and power can’t solve even the most basic problems, how can they ever solve, as they say, this complex problem of the average man? The answer is they can’t because they don’t live with it, their Nannies do, and their children never worry about a job or anything else. You can't fix what you don't know. I go back to one thing “ spare the rod- spoil the child"! Take Dr. Spock and his like and put them in a school today and they won’t last ten minutes as would any politician.
In my opinion the fix lies with us all and starts with me and mine. No government nor political entity can do anything. If your children, grandchildren and those in your family and circle of friends see this behavior in your children then it is about time you wake up. It is not a fad, not a growing experience, it is not that they are just learning to be individuals, or they have a need and a problem to be addressed! They are probably taking drugs, having frequent sex with many partners and doing a host of other things you are not aware of. If they are in trouble at school for discipline then you really have a problem because at school they go the extra mile and then some just to avoid the parents of these children and the ramifications I speak to herein. It is better to look the other way then to put up with some of these righteous parents.
Finally, it has nothing to do with education either. There are some young adults on the National “Honor “ Society who are as rude and arrogant as those who are not. In fact these may be the ones into even deeper problems because their parents won’t admit their little genius could be a problem. In fact the teachers who treat them as favorites and look the other way do them no favor in life either.
In closing, what I have written to is fact. It is not fiction, nor is it a minor problem, and certainly, as mentioned, while there are many good young adults in the majority, the numbers of those who impact everyone is growing!
Robert T. Melaccio Sr. Copyright ©2005 Robert Melaccio
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