Respect

Respect – “To show deference or regard to”

I was always brought up to be respectful. We were drilled in deference and it seemed that the world was a dfferent place where everyone knew their place and some even stayed there. We were told to respect our elders, to give up seats on buses to “ladies”, to be silent in libraries and churches and to be polite to people. There were pillars of society who were held in great respect by the whole community, the doctor, the policeman the schoolteacher, the clergy and even the politicians , who were by and large the local gentry.

Events, but largely the development of the media as a weapon of mass destruction, has changed everything. Where respect was once an expectation, now it must be earned, and once destroyed it is almost impossible to re-establish. Over the years, the pillars that support out system have gradually been eroded and perhaps this presages some major shifts in the way that things happen.

Money has always been a driving force in our history and those with the wealth were always in powerful positions and could use it to their own benefit while appearing to benefit the poor. The Catholic church is a prime example of an organisation that has bled the poor throughout its history and used its power, lies, dogma and authority to bolster the rich while claiming that poverty is a blessing. In times gone by the proclivities of some of their priests toward the sodomisation of young boys was well hidden, but now the stories come out on an almost daily basis. How can such a body continue to command the respect of the public, and why on Earth should they?

Why should we respect the people in positions of power and authority, when they manipulate their positions to feather their own nests. We are in a parlous state as our politicians fall by the wayside one by one, continuing tales of corruption and greed.
The public is losing what little respect they had for their representatives, and a next election could see an upsurge in the political parties that represent the most despicable aspects of society. They say that we get the government that we deserve and perhaps that is the case.