NOT RESPECTING AUTHORITY UNDERMINES OUR INSTITUTIONS

 NOT RESPECTING AUTHORITY UNDERMINES OUR INSTITUTIONS

By Domenick J. Maglio PhD. Traditional Realist

 

There are an incredible number of daily incidents that indicate many of us do not show respect for each other. This happens with youngsters, young adults, all the way to the elderly. Many of us have become egotistical humans, disregarding the less fortunate, those who have been mistreated and people in general. 

 

This epidemic of people treating others sarcastically, belittling them or acting rudely has bled over into everyday conversations. Amongst almost all age groups it has become accepted to speak to others with irreverence bordering on disrespect for anyone’s authority. This bodes poorly for social order in our institutions.

 

Former President Obama spoke of “the talk” between parents and their child about how to deal with police when stopped by an officer. This conversation should not only occur in black families but in every family. This type of discussion happens between parents and their teenage children of every race, ethnic and socio-economic level. Any parent who does not directly warn their child about how to behave in front of an authority figure, especially a police officer, is asking for trouble.

 

Parents are supposed to protect their offspring by providing them with realistic information that can prevent an inflammatory incident escalating out of control. A level-headed parent will tell their adolescent that at all times they should demonstrate good manners and attitude to any person of authority. This would avoid potential negative issues that the child might unintentionally provoke. 

 

In the extreme case of a police officer stopping the vehicle they are driving, they should be courteous and follow all of the directives exactly. The driver should be informed that the police officer is in a dangerous position when stopping any driver and will probably be jittery, which could cause an overreaction. If the young driver has a disagreement, they should stifle themselves until consulting with their parents and a lawyer.

 

Too many individuals believe that they have the right to resist an authority’s direct commands. Teachers, police and judges are not always treated respectfully. Often, they are ignored or insulted by a person they have commanded or officially addressed to follow a particular course of action. This is stupid and/or dangerous for their sanctioned office comes with power.

 

When citizens resist a police officer’s commands it does not end well. If the officer backs down from the non-compliant person, he would be considered unfit to perform his duties. Almost all officers do their duty. The officer has the law on his side so the civilian should not provoke but comply.

 

In this time of social disobedience, the resister has the potential glory of being a hero in gang night rioting.  This is enticing to many people who believe in the present perversion of “social justice.” Rioting is never a justification for correcting a wrong except tyrannical situation.  Reasonable enforcing of the law is not tyranny but maintaining law and order. 

 

Police, teachers, mental health experts and specifically parents have been assigned the responsibility of inculcating right and wrong behavior in public in order to properly function in a modern society. Accepting rational rules and limits of behavior provides us with means of properly acting in certain situations and environments throughout our lives. 

 

Decent normal behavior has to be taught and followed by the vast majority of citizens. When certain segments of the population refuse to accept institutional rules, they should face consequences. In school a few become dropouts, some inappropriate behaving and thinking individuals may receive mental health labels, while some could be institutionalized. Not following the law can lead to imprisonment. Inappropriate parenting behavior can lead the child to end up in any of the above situations to “protect the public” or themselves.

 

Incarceration in an institution for abnormal or criminal individuals usually does not rehabilitate them. It is best to teach the child as early as possible to obey and respect the rights of others. Even though people often do things we personally do not like, we do not have a right to correct them such as telling them to wear a mask but is becoming too common in our confrontational culture. Everyone’s freedoms are important as long as they respect the rights of others.

 

The societal boundaries are not being enforced too much but rather too little, at home, at school, in church or in our communities. It is time we bring back our dedicated teachers, religious, political, mental health leaders and most importantly our parents that establish the foundation for all respect. 

 

Parents teaching their children the fundamentals aspects of respect is the simplest and best means for rejuvenating our essential institutions. Only through reestablishing manners, civility and respect for authority figures can we regain our emotional stability in a society with inconsistently enforced rules.

 

 

 

Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. Dr. Maglio is an author of weekly newspaper articles, INVASION WITHIN  and a recent book entitled, IN CHARGE PARENTING In a PC World. You can see many of Dr. Maglio’s articles at www.drmaglioblogspot.com.