As a high school teacher, I was usually called upon at least
once every other year or so, to expound upon the concept of respect. Generally,
I found students (in the 80’s and 90’s) to be respectful of their teachers, but
there were always a few students who were bound and determined to challenge any
and all figures of authority, and those were the ones needing that extra
instruction.
I believed, then and now, there were two aspects that needed
to be explained. The first is the concept of respect for authority. Despite
your personal feelings for the individual, a person in a position of authority
over you is due at least a minimal degree of respect. As I told many a class of
students, my class, my rules. As the teacher, I had been given by the school
administration a level of control that was not to be questioned. I was the boss
and they had to understand that within limits, I had the authority to tell them
what to do. They didn’t have to like it, but they had to deal with it.
The second aspect concerned the difference between respect
and disrespect. Many a difficult child heard this lecture from me. Basically,
even if you have no respect for me whatsoever, you do not have the right to be
disrespectful to me. Think or feel about me any way you like, but don’t act or
speak in a way that overtly communicates those thoughts or feelings. In return,
I always assured my students that I would always treat them with the respect
they deserved as learners and I would never address them in a disrespectful
manner.
I say all this to say that in our society today, there are
an awful lot of people who need to receive this lecture! And they need to be
reminded that, like it or not, Donald Trump is the President and he deserves,
at the very least, the level of respect due the position.
Now, before you give me a lecture on the First Amendment and
the right to free speech, let me finish. Any individual who wants to show up at
a Soros-funded protest and insult the President with profanity-filled hatred
most certainly has the right to do so. And members of the
media, celebrities, and even elected officials have the same right. But just
like those students of mine from years ago, there are consequences when you choose
to break or bend the rules of respect.
Let me say up front, I am not a fan of Cancel Culture. But I
am a huge fan of accountability and sometimes those natural consequences hurt.
People have lost jobs, businesses have lost money, celebrities have lost
fanbases. If you choose to act out or speak out publicly and your opinions are
not popular or shared by others, there will be consequences. Or in the case of
elected officials, there should be. At least, I believe so.
I have written previously about Representation. (A Writer's Life: Who Represents You? Our Government in
Action) I truly believe that at every level of
government, it is important that we elect people who share our values and
actually represent us. I think there are too many politicians (Democrats and
Republicans both) who are not really representing the people who elected them.
Anyway, back to the topic at hand.
The mainstream media still criticizes the President every
chance they get. (Mainstream Media Bias Against Trump Persists Six Months Into
Second Term - VOR News) Celebrities constantly make
headlines with their comments about President Trump. (Celebs Who Can't Stand Donald Trump)
But most shockingly, to me anyway, are the elected officials who cannot manage
to contain their hatred for our President. Most recently, Texas representative
Jasmine Crockett. (Far-left Rep. Jasmine Crockett calls Trump a ‘piece of
s--t’ in latest rant against the president) Before
that Congresswoman Talib. (https://news.yahoo.com/us-congresswoman-tells-crowd-going-impeach-motherf-donald-trump-090925946.html)
And those are just two of the most outrageous examples. When will we do
something about these people? I know, there are actions that can be taken
against elected officials when they commit such blatant and irresponsible
actions. Why aren’t we doing anything? At the very least, shouldn’t these
people face censure? (https://www.southwestjournal.com/news/what-does-it-mean-to-censure-a-congressman/)
If we refuse to address this stuff, it’s only going to get
worse. Consider the recent hearing with RKF Jr. Or any of the confirmation
hearings of almost any of Trump’s cabinet members. Democrats scream and call
names and basically verbally attack without the slightest bit of shame. It’s
embarrassing. When we will learn? And when will the Dems learn to stop fighting
against their own country? Abraham Lincoln expressed it well in 1858. “A house
divided against itself cannot stand.” I guess we still haven’t figured that one
out.
And in view of yesterday’s tragic news about Charlie Kirk, when will Democrats take responsibility for the results of their rhetoric? The party of “tolerance” has once again chosen violence. We shouldn’t be surprised. The hatred they so openly express on a daily basis, will always lead to action. And it’s time we held someone accountable.
