Respect Isn't a Right
David Thompson Via Isaac:
With depressing regularity we hear of the “sincerity” and “deep feeling” with which certain beliefs are held, as if sincerity and vehemence were testament to the veracity of those beliefs and a marker of their immunity from critical scrutiny. But an argument stands on its merits, not on the vehemence with which it’s held or the volume at which it’s shouted. And not, as the Bishop of London seems to imply, because of veiled threats of public disorder if those beliefs are challenged. Nor is a belief made admirable or true by the number of people who can be said to share it. When Iqbal Sacranie claimed that “millions of Muslims” were “deeply offended” by unflattering statements of the obvious, then those “millions of Muslims” may well be mistaken or dishonest and perhaps a little prideful.
Please read it all. It's an outstanding and timely piece.
ABF, for the promotion of human rights and democracy in Iran
2 comments:
This is very true. As the Christians pointed out to the masses (and shed their blood to rid the USA of) slavery was an abomination. At the time, they were a minority. Well, they still are, but they have much more equality now.
That is the right thing to do. The number of people at the time of the Civil War did not think so. That is THEIR shame, not mine.
Direct democracy is mob rule. That is the shortest way to put it. Imagine if all the men or all the women got hold of a wrong idea and put it forth with direct democracy? YOUCH! lol. Have a great day. :)
Respect, in this realm, is earned. You do not need to *like* those that you respect, but acknowledging them for those things you respect is necessary. American soldiers did not *like* the tactics of the Japanese Banzai charge and fighting to the last man, but they came to respect the ferocity and dedication show to such things.
Respect is earned by doing those things you say and keeping to them so that, no matter how distasteful those things may be to others, one keeps to their outlook. That is an honorable thing to do... and do note that 'saving face' and honor are not the same thing as 'saving face' is social and can lead to dishonorable actions.
As with so much else in life, a button I saw sums it up well:
HONOR
Do what you say.
Say what you mean.
Mean what you do.
As I put forth in my Goals n the Global War on Terror, this is what we face:
"These individuals do not respect laws, and are told to lie and do nearly anything to escape and return to their barbaric ways. They do not honor agreements to not go back to those ways. They have no honor.
These individuals do not respect human rights and will capture anyone that they think can be ransomed and *maybe* let them go. Or maybe just kill them once they get the ransom. They do not respect anyone who would pay a ransom and have no respect for the individuals they keep. They have no honor."
And a bit further on:
"The US Constitution is a blessing upon us because it gives us order and freedom and respects that each individual legally within the confines of the US has such. Those that honor agreements and respect this will get likewise treatment. Keeping the peace does not mean that we cannot be unruly, but the people must recognize that this is a fight of civilization against barbarism.
As the barbarians do not know how to give quarter, so shall they get as they give.
As the barbarians do not respect nations, nor laws, nor rules, nor civility, they do not get the honor or leniency of those things.
They have chosen their path to follow.
Let us make an end to them until either they are all dead or have settled to raise a flag and define themselves in a respectable manner.
The Soviet Union was civilized and could be dealt with honorably, even if we disliked their goals.
Transnational Terrorists are not civilized and hold no worthy goals.
As they see those outside of their organization as not human until converted to their ways, so we shall see them as not human until converted to ours.
Or until they are all killed.
There is no third way."
I give them no respect because they are dishonorable. Not just the Islamic Transnational Terrorists but *all* terrorists and those that aid, abet, shield and support same. It is not a 'long war' but an across the board struggle to keep civilization. Until we learn to think like that, it will be a *losing* struggle.
Because we have dared to define what it means to have human rights and what is necessary to respect them. If we let go of *that* and do not fight to keep them and say what they are, then we do not deserve those rights. This requires that we Do as we Say, Say what we Mean and Mean what we Do.
We do hold those truths to be self-evident and if you do not respect *that*, then you deserve what is coming to you for trying to *end* them for me.
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