This girl should go away now..... - Page 3 - Political Forum

LiveUninhibited · #21 (**permalink**) 05-10-2008, 09:53 PM

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Then I guess neither do children, because both groups are physically and perhaps mentally not as efficient as healthy adults, and both groups rely on the compassion and assistance of others.

Children do not get respect in our society. Maybe we should see how respect may be defined:

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re·spect Audio Help /rɪˈspɛkt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ri-spekt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun 1. a particular, detail, or point (usually prec. by in): to differ in some respect.
2. relation or reference: inquiries with respect to a route.
3. esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability: I have great respect for her judgment.
4. deference to a right, privilege, privileged position, or someone or something considered to have certain rights or privileges; proper acceptance or courtesy; acknowledgment: respect for a suspect's right to counsel; to show respect for the flag; respect for the elderly.
5. the condition of being esteemed or honored: to be held in respect.
6. respects, a formal expression or gesture of greeting, esteem, or friendship: Give my respects to your parents.
7. favor or partiality.
8. Archaic. a consideration.
–verb (used with object) 9. to hold in esteem or honor: I cannot respect a cheat.
10. to show regard or consideration for: to respect someone's rights.
11. to refrain from intruding upon or interfering with: to respect a person's privacy.
12. to relate or have reference to.
—Idioms13. in respect of, in reference to; in regard to; concerning.
14. in respect that, Archaic. because of; since.
15. pay one's respects, a. to visit in order to welcome, greet, etc.: We paid our respects to the new neighbors.
b. to express one's sympathy, esp. to survivors following a death: We paid our respects to the family.

16. with respect to, referring to; concerning: with respect to your latest request.

Of the 16 definitions, I think 3, 4, and 5 are relevant.

Definition 3: There may be some correlation between excellence and living to an old age, but that doesn't mean that age in itself means somebody deserves more esteem than others. I may respect an elderly scientist for his/her contributions, even if he is not as intelligent as he was before he became senile, but I don't see any reason to respect every old person any more than anybody else for age per se. We expect the elderly to be wiser, but it doesn't seem to always be the case.

I'd have the same argument against definition 5 as I did for 3, so on to definition 4: Do the elderly deserve special rights and privileges? To the extent that they need extra assistance, we as a society should do what we can to accomodate them. But when a criminal victimizes somebody who is stronger or less vulnerable than an elderly person, that just shows the criminal is more bold and more dangerous to more people. It may seem more "evil" for them to victimize the weak, but either way they should be punished the same for doing the same act. If the crime is based upon ageism, racism, sexism, or whatever else, it is still the same crime and the punishment should be the same.

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It's not just the act she committed, it was the attitude and sticking her tongue out at those who questioned her actions, as if no one had that right. What kind of values is a useless woman like this going to teach her own children? Obviously the same ones that her mother didn't teach her.

Well yes, but that has nothing to do with the age of her victim. If she continued to be defiant under my suggestion, she would be punished more harshly.

Izzibeth · #22 (**permalink**) 05-12-2008, 03:09 PM

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Originally Posted by Dr House

You do know that they were joking, right?

I'm not so sure about that.

Were you guys joking when you said that she should be sent to an all-male prison?

Izzibeth · #23 (**permalink**) 05-12-2008, 03:10 PM

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Originally Posted by LiveUninhibited

Children do not get respect in our society.

This is true. One reason why people believe, after looking at young people in the United States as opposed to England or France, why young people in America are so violent, angry, rude, etc. in comparison. Because young people are treated like deviants first and human beings second in the USA.

Locke9-05 · #24 (**permalink**) 05-12-2008, 03:57 PM

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Originally Posted by Izzibeth

I'm not so sure about that.

Were you guys joking when you said that she should be sent to an all-male prison?

For the most part. Although I'm a firm believer in consequences for peoples' actions--good and bad. This "person" was a lunatic, she had two kids in the car at the time, she doesn't deserve anything more than a good harsh beating herself.

Locke9-05 · #25 (**permalink**) 05-12-2008, 04:03 PM

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Originally Posted by Izzibeth

This is true. One reason why people believe, after looking at young people in the United States as opposed to England or France, why young people in America are so violent, angry, rude, etc. in comparison. Because young people are treated like deviants first and human beings second in the USA.

You have got to be kidding me... The only reason they're treated like that is because they act like it. I never resented the stereotype when I was that age because I knew about all the stupid things my peers were doing to fuel it. I could live with it because I knew I wasn't contributing to it, yet there was still a damn good reason for it. If kids want society's respect, they need to earn it, just like anyone else. They don't do that by breaking all kinds of laws--smoking pot for individualistic pleasure and calling it "rebellion" when all it really is is selfish idiocy, boozing it up for no reason except that "everyone else is doing it" and it seems cool, drinking and driving (ten times worse), vandalism, bullying, slacking off in their studies and then blaming everyone but themselves... There are so many kids out there who don't get reality and what it's all about. They think it should be a walk in the park just for them and that's why they fail. That's why society sees them as exactly what they are. And the very few out there who do try, who don't break all the laws for selfish reasons, who work to earn society's respect suffer because they're teenagers too--they're just the rare few that don't act like it.

Izzibeth · #26 (**permalink**) 05-13-2008, 10:02 AM

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Originally Posted by Locke9-05

You have got to be kidding me... The only reason they're treated like that is because they act like it. I never resented the stereotype when I was that age because I knew about all the stupid things my peers were doing to fuel it. I could live with it because I knew I wasn't contributing to it, yet there was still a damn good reason for it. If kids want society's respect, they need to earn it, just like anyone else. They don't do that by breaking all kinds of laws--smoking pot for individualistic pleasure and calling it "rebellion" when all it really is is selfish idiocy, boozing it up for no reason except that "everyone else is doing it" and it seems cool, drinking and driving (ten times worse), vandalism, bullying, slacking off in their studies and then blaming everyone but themselves... There are so many kids out there who don't get reality and what it's all about. They think it should be a walk in the park just for them and that's why they fail. That's why society sees them as exactly what they are. And the very few out there who do try, who don't break all the laws for selfish reasons, who work to earn society's respect suffer because they're teenagers too--they're just the rare few that don't act like it.

Vicious cycle you're describing here. I was just pointing out something that has been pointed out numerous times by people in other countries watching ours. We treat young people badly in this country in comparison. *shrug* It's not going to change unless the adults change first.