Teach respect for others or we’re all in trouble | Belleville News-Democrat

I may be old-fashioned, but I believe if we are to be a leader in the world again, we must learn two important fundamentals of life — respect and responsibility.

I can’t count the number of times I was stopped dead in my tracks hearing our elected officials disrespecting our president and our country. From the day President Obama took office, he has been an object of criticism. Whatever happened to the idea of respect?

I have sat in the park and public places and listened to children talk back to their parents with no response. If a child does not learn to respect their parents, they will not know they must also respect their teachers, police officers and their elders in general.

Showing disrespect to our president and people in important positions will lead to a loss of cohesion in our effort to make our lives and the lives of others better.

If we cannot respect our neighbors, and leaders of our communities, then we are responsible for the lack of respect the United States receives from other countries.