Connect with us on Facebook!
Subscribe.
Follow us on Twitter!
Make us your home page!
Authors, sign in!Since when did being disrespectful make you more "American"?
This is what I've been noticing in my neighborhood lately. Gone are the subtle signs about what 'side' you champion. They have been replaced with license plate tags that say 'ARYAN 7' and images of Calvin (from Calvin and Hobbs) urinating on the word 'Obama'.
I am sure these folks will scream 'free speech' and yes, they are absolutely correct. But when will folks wake up and admit their true disdain? Its okay to just say "I don't like him/them because..." - hey, at least I know where you stand. But to camouflage it in free speech is egregious.
The worst parts of disrespect stem in its root word 'respect' - or the lack thereof. Respect by definition means of 'high or special regard'. I was taught to give special regard to my elders, my peers and those in positions of authority. But this disrespect that I have seen as of late has taken over those who the public trusts to give them news and information - free from disrespect. And this lack of special regard has led to lies, malicious statements and repeated falsehoods even in the face of the truth.
A few lies on tv, a press conference by a former government official, and some hate-filled, disrespectful speeches have begun to manifest itself in homegrown terror... all in the name of free speech.
Let us go back to the days of respect.
Published June 5, 2009 by Jenifer Daniels |
Permalink
| Tags:
Barack Obama
Freedom of Speech
Comments (6)
To go back to the days of respect? When the Left-wing of this country would mercilessly rake over the coals Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Newt Gingrich, Karl Rove, and a few conservative talk show hosts with the most vile destine you could think of? And then, the Left would just gloat about it! In the political world, Jenifer, there's never been such days.
Posted by L-stop
|
June 6, 2009 2:13 AM
Posted on June 6, 2009 02:13
Jenifer,
Welcome to EverydayCitizen! I heard you were joining us and I'm so happy that you have. Welcome.
What a wonderful first blog! I agree with you - people can disagree respectfully and we should change this disrespectful course our country has been on for about a decade.
Your post today is so appropriate for these times! We have lived through these recent years of talking heads on TV just yelling over each other, not listening to each other, and - we've seen that same sort of disrespectful disdainful behavior leak into everyday interactions between people, even family members.
Despite what the anonymous commenter said above, it hasn't always been this way. This disrespectful era we are in is new and we can change it. Thank you for this post. And, welcome again to EverydayCitizen!!!!
Nora Thomason
Posted by Nora Thomason
|
June 6, 2009 10:28 AM
Posted on June 6, 2009 10:28
Yes, welcome to EC Jenifer! I'm looking forward to your future blogs and I liked this one very much. Jerry
Posted by Jerry Jacobs
|
June 6, 2009 11:00 AM
Posted on June 6, 2009 11:00
Hey Jenifer! Great Post! Its cool that you have joined us here. Now you are an Everyday Citizen too. YAY!
Zola Jones
Posted by Zola Jones
|
June 6, 2009 11:08 AM
Posted on June 6, 2009 11:08
i like your comments.
i am so tired of the meanness i see in the country today and the total disrespect for others. we are all AMERICANS and it is time to act like it.
seems to me it started in the loud mouth conservative talk show hosts -
time to end it. you don't have to like what is going on in the country - and most of us do not - but still show some respect and work within the system to change things. what we see in public and on tv comes down to our personal lives - and there isn't much respect out there on the street.
it is ok to disagree - but name calling doesn't move us forward.
Posted by gypsytoo
|
June 6, 2009 1:14 PM
Posted on June 6, 2009 13:14
Great post, Jenifer. A very insightful essay on the need for respect. I've read of quite a few malicious comments, and I don't think we can control what others think or say, but we can control our own reactions. For a more respectful dialogue, I think the best that we could hope to do is to politely but firmly state our own opinions while respecting those that disagree as people. And hope that by showing respect for them as people, people who disagree with us, like L-stop, will in turn give us that same respect.
Posted by Angelo Lopez
|
June 7, 2009 1:56 PM
Posted on June 7, 2009 13:56