Other: the birth of Rodney Dangerfield.
(bolding miine)
…or there is more mixing of cultures and subcultures, and we’re seeing what others do to “respect” as “disrespectful” because we’re playing parallel games with different rules. No one’s avoiding being “phony”; we simply feel that we are being respectful by the rules we know/feel most comfortable with.
I see an Indian woman walking down the street 4 feet behind her husband, and I see that as disrespectful to her. She sees my husband walking hand in hand next to me and sees that as disrespectful to me. Who’s right? Neither one of us. We both see disrespect where none is actually being displayed.
I think we’re being mislead by the OP not using the right description for what he’s talking about - I think what he’s intending to talk about is the lack of caring about how your actions affect other people. People doing things that negatively affect other people simply because it’s easier, and they know they can get away with it. Part of the reason that people are acting this way now is because there has been a sharp drop-off in public approbation; we see people doing disrespectful, illegal things every day, but no one ever says anything or does anything about it.
I submit to you that part of the reason we have lost personal responsibility for our actions towards other people and in public is because we have too many laws and too much police - we expect the laws and the police to take care of problems, so we don’t take personal responsibility to act right ourselves.
It must be Obama’s fault.
I agree that, in neither case, is disrespect intended.
I also note that a different core principle of liberty is being violated: equality. One law for one person, and another law for another person, is hard to distinguish from tyranny. The man walking in front might take some profit from reflection upon the Golden Rule. He may intend no disrespect, but that doesn’t reduce the immorality of his custom.
I ask again, who the fuck wants to know?
When I asked a friend’s mom about this, she said that he was showing her respect by clearing the way, making sure she didn’t have to stop suddenly, being able to point out cracks in the sidewalk or stinky messes so she didn’t step in them…basically, being considerate and caring for her personal well being. Walking side by side is disrespectful because it leaves her open to being bumped by the crowd and inconvenienced by other walkers and the environment. Just as the Queen and President have people to walk before them and clear the way so they can walk free in comfort, she has her husband. I can’t argue with that. It’s not how I would interpret such an action without context, but it makes sense, and it’s most certainly full of respect.
Respect by whom, towards what? Women and non-whites get a lot more respect than they used to. On the other hand, if anything we’ve gotten a lot worse towards the lower class.
Maybe the OP is wistful for the days when people respected Congress.
Under the principle of equality, he ought to be given the same honor, on an equal basis. How about taking turns for who walks in front? It is a violation of the principle of equality to presume that only the man is competent to clear the way, and that only the woman requires protection.
The disrespect isn’t intended, but it exists, and can be perceived objectively.
I agree that there are times when walking two abreast isn’t feasible. But taking turns absolutely is.
Sorry if I’ve lead a lot of you to be confused. I’m a newbie here and only chose this topic because I seem to run across it all day long everyday everywhere I go. Memeber Cat Whisper has come closest to understanding my post. I didn’t expect so many to read so much into the question but I suppose I left the door open, which is ok, all opinions are welcome. As for WHO WANTS TO KNOW? I think anyone who also see’s the lack of respect towards one another weather it be in what they say, how they say it, how they act or the actions they take in any given situatiion might wonder if things could change, why is it the way it is and how did this happen because, I know at certain points in history respect was something you carried with you always and didn’t just pull it out when needed or wanted to, it was a core value that I believe is or has been lost.
Even thought I’m Canadian people around the World could beniefit from a working congress in the United States, but it is not my wistful thinking nor my duty to change the way congress works it’s up to the American people.
Oh, Canada. That explains a lot.
And suppose to mean?
If I assume you mean Canadians think they are or have been given the distinction of being more respectful than some others your wrong. There’s more than enough disrespect going on up here as anywhere its just maybe a little more subtle.
Let me guess, you’re a white man, aren’t you?
Let me tell you about respect from a (white*) woman’s standpoint:
My great-grandparents and grandparents favored sons and grandsons across the board. My grandparents didn’t consider sending my mom off to college because she was “just a girl”, despite her good grades. When I got married, my new grandmother-in-law asked me why I was bothering to work at all. My mother (when young) was an executive secretary at a company where the president was a dirty old man, and all she could do was to avoid being alone with him, since he was “handsy”.
I, on the other hand, went to one of the best engineering schools in the world, because my parents respected my abilities. My coworkers respect my skills and my intelligence, and I’m rewarded financially equally to men. My company has as many women VPs as men, and in actual business positions, not just HR. And the men I work with don’t expect me to get their coffee.
So I’d say that respect has increased significantly. Even though I see people acting like jerks while driving, or see “Captains of Industry” committing white-collar crimes left and right, in my everyday life things are much better than when my mom was working 40 years ago.
*I know women of color have different experiences, so I won’t presume to speak for them.
But isn’t this subtlety exactly what you are decrying the loss of? Besides, all of us here South of the Border are hot-headed and rude.
Ahem. Get bent, kind sir.
Personally, I think we’re a lot more respectful today. We generally refrain from slaughtering people who don’t worship our mythical air-beast, or who refuse to send presents to our emperor, and the like. I think that’s nice.
Did they also mention that the easiest way to earn the respect of one’s fellow inmates is to beat the shit out of them?
yes. American society in general has been on a downward slide since the day Kennedy got shot