I brushed against this subject yesterday while talking with a friend. Talking over recent events in the national news and speculating on their causes. Most notably that movie, The Interview. Some may view it as a comedy but I saw it as a insult. In my opinion it just shows a total lack of respect for another man and another nation. Since when is showing an assassination attempt funny ? Now, it may be so with fictional characters and a fictional nation but that is not. We agreed that it was a matter of respect. A word you hear used often these days. Over used in my opinion and used incorrectly.If I disagree with your point of view that doesn't necessarily constitute disrespect.
I became further irritated with this whole movie business when others tried to tell me it was practically my patriotic duty to go see it ! They began to talk about the Constitution and freedom of speech. References to God given rights being trampled ! No other group or nation should prevent me from seeing this movie ! No, I would rather die fighting for the release of this movie. How ridiculous can it get ? I suppose when a foreign owned company, like Sony International, invests forty million dollars in the making of a film and then spends millions more in promotion they find a way to cover up the truth. And the truth of the matter is simple, the movie is disrespectful, irrelevant and crass. Can you really blame the country of North Korea for a cyber attack ? Shoot, the Japanese should be used to sneak attacks ! But that is another topic entirely. Seems they don't like it much when it happens to them. But I digress. I was speaking of respect. Those last few sentences of mine were not very respectful and I apologize for that.
The subject of respect is what I brushed against yesterday. Now respect begins at home, I believe that. Children should be taught respect and its' meaning. Somehow the meaning of respect has been altered to imply a weakness, a subjugation almost. In reality respect is a strength. Respect tempers our actions. It is the basis for our temperament. Respectful people do not act or speak based solely on the premise that they can ! No, respectful people consider the feelings of others before doing so. Obviously that was not a consideration when that film script was written,reviewed and made into a film. Why ? Is it because the author does not agree with the political philosophy of North Korea ? Or was it just that all those involved thought, that's pretty funny stuff ! Let's make a movie based on a assasination. Well, because assassinating people is always so funny.
The underlying question for me is how did this happen, this lack of teaching respect. How has it become so misunderstood ? Let us begin at home. How are children being raised today ? I would submit quite a bit different than the way you and I were. That is not to say that some things of the past didn't require changing but not everything. Consider a thing as simple as our parents interaction with other adults.If you think about it you would see that our parents dealt a bit more respectfully with each other. That was back when a gentleman held the door for a lady and removed his hat while indoors. They addressed each other as Mr or sir and Ma'am. Children were also taught those lessons. We heard, mind your manners ! What that really meant was, show the proper respect. For me, I think it began to erode with parents allowing their children to address them by their name. I mean who calls their mother, Ruth for Gods' sake ?
If we do not teach our children to respect the feelings and opinions of others at home, can we expect them to do so in the general public ? And we need to teach them standing up for yourself does not involve trampling on others ! Strength comes from character. Character must be developed over time. More importantly I think we need to teach our children that having the right to do something is not always a license to do that thing ! Consideration for others is not a weakness.
But perhaps it all began a few generations back. Perhaps it began when families started separating. Perhaps in our haste to provide " better " for the next generation something was overlooked. When families stayed " on the farm " and were taught those values. Now we tend to teach our children to be " independent " and prepare them to move out. We teach that it is a tough world out there and you need to be tough to survive. Perhaps that is why the popularity of such shows as Big Brother and Survivor. The object being to win, at all costs. Respect plays no role in that scenario. And the only way to win is to gain material possessions. Those with the most money,power and influence being the standard. The quiet,respectful man will get trampled. Doesn't make it right though.
You could say that War is the ultimate display of disrespect. Violence always is. Patriotism, when viewed in that regard can be a catalyst. That is what Sony pictures is trying to do in this situation. They are trying to convince me that the making of that movie is some kind of God given right. Yes, they have the ability to make such a film here in the United States of America but does that mean they should ? I wonder how the Japanese government would have responded if the movie was about dropping another Atomic bomb ? Would that have been hilarious ? I don't think Sony entertainment would have thought so. Of course when it comes to making a few bucks, all bets are off.
I became further irritated with this whole movie business when others tried to tell me it was practically my patriotic duty to go see it ! They began to talk about the Constitution and freedom of speech. References to God given rights being trampled ! No other group or nation should prevent me from seeing this movie ! No, I would rather die fighting for the release of this movie. How ridiculous can it get ? I suppose when a foreign owned company, like Sony International, invests forty million dollars in the making of a film and then spends millions more in promotion they find a way to cover up the truth. And the truth of the matter is simple, the movie is disrespectful, irrelevant and crass. Can you really blame the country of North Korea for a cyber attack ? Shoot, the Japanese should be used to sneak attacks ! But that is another topic entirely. Seems they don't like it much when it happens to them. But I digress. I was speaking of respect. Those last few sentences of mine were not very respectful and I apologize for that.
The subject of respect is what I brushed against yesterday. Now respect begins at home, I believe that. Children should be taught respect and its' meaning. Somehow the meaning of respect has been altered to imply a weakness, a subjugation almost. In reality respect is a strength. Respect tempers our actions. It is the basis for our temperament. Respectful people do not act or speak based solely on the premise that they can ! No, respectful people consider the feelings of others before doing so. Obviously that was not a consideration when that film script was written,reviewed and made into a film. Why ? Is it because the author does not agree with the political philosophy of North Korea ? Or was it just that all those involved thought, that's pretty funny stuff ! Let's make a movie based on a assasination. Well, because assassinating people is always so funny.
The underlying question for me is how did this happen, this lack of teaching respect. How has it become so misunderstood ? Let us begin at home. How are children being raised today ? I would submit quite a bit different than the way you and I were. That is not to say that some things of the past didn't require changing but not everything. Consider a thing as simple as our parents interaction with other adults.If you think about it you would see that our parents dealt a bit more respectfully with each other. That was back when a gentleman held the door for a lady and removed his hat while indoors. They addressed each other as Mr or sir and Ma'am. Children were also taught those lessons. We heard, mind your manners ! What that really meant was, show the proper respect. For me, I think it began to erode with parents allowing their children to address them by their name. I mean who calls their mother, Ruth for Gods' sake ?
If we do not teach our children to respect the feelings and opinions of others at home, can we expect them to do so in the general public ? And we need to teach them standing up for yourself does not involve trampling on others ! Strength comes from character. Character must be developed over time. More importantly I think we need to teach our children that having the right to do something is not always a license to do that thing ! Consideration for others is not a weakness.
But perhaps it all began a few generations back. Perhaps it began when families started separating. Perhaps in our haste to provide " better " for the next generation something was overlooked. When families stayed " on the farm " and were taught those values. Now we tend to teach our children to be " independent " and prepare them to move out. We teach that it is a tough world out there and you need to be tough to survive. Perhaps that is why the popularity of such shows as Big Brother and Survivor. The object being to win, at all costs. Respect plays no role in that scenario. And the only way to win is to gain material possessions. Those with the most money,power and influence being the standard. The quiet,respectful man will get trampled. Doesn't make it right though.
You could say that War is the ultimate display of disrespect. Violence always is. Patriotism, when viewed in that regard can be a catalyst. That is what Sony pictures is trying to do in this situation. They are trying to convince me that the making of that movie is some kind of God given right. Yes, they have the ability to make such a film here in the United States of America but does that mean they should ? I wonder how the Japanese government would have responded if the movie was about dropping another Atomic bomb ? Would that have been hilarious ? I don't think Sony entertainment would have thought so. Of course when it comes to making a few bucks, all bets are off.
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