If you stand back and take an objective look at it, sometimes it seems as if the world has gone off the deep end. There is violence, country against country; countryman against countryman. Not to mention the destruction man is waging against this planet we call home. One wonders how we've managed to keep from imploding long before now.
I think part of it can be explained by a lack of respect we not only have for each other, but the earth we live on. But, this topic is too broad, so I'll just focus on the lack of respect man has for his fellow man.
I believe we are all partially to blame for the problems we face today. It all starts with how we raise our kids. Young children are impressionable. They believe what they either see or hear. If we teach them hate, they will hate. If we teach them tolerance and respect for others, then they will generally be tolerant and respectful of others. Let's say you put a White Supremacist's toddler in a room with an African-American, Jewish or Asian toddler with an equal number of toys for each. What do you think would happen? Would they automatically hate each other? Would they automatically fight? Of course not. Racial intolerance is taught.
But, just as racial intolerance is taught, respect can be taught as well. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold committed terrible crimes against their fellow man in the shootings at Columbine High. I'd like to suggest they were a product of the society they grew up in. A society of intolerance where they themselves were bullied at school because they were "different". A society that values money over the well-being of it's young people by allowing violent video games, movies and music to be produced. I'm not for censorship. Far from it. I'm an ardent supporter of freedom of speech. But, there has to be a line drawn when either people or even animals are put at risk. Impressionable minds become desensitized to violence when they see it too often I believe. When we put financial gain, from production of such media, over the welfare of our youth we show a lack of respect for them.
Respect in all forms should be taught - from one ethnic group to another, from men to women, between different religious groups, from the high school jock to the overweight kid with pimples. People should not be treated differently because of where they're from, their gender, their faith or how they look. Not only for their sake, but ours. If we kick a dog long enough it's going to bite back. If we show him love and respect he'll stand by our side forever.
