Civility versus Respect

[JMHACLJ at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/21/2005 12:16:57 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
jean.dudley at gmail.com writes:

I  respectfully disagree, Jim.  I was raised to show a set amount of  
respect to everyone.  That level of repsect is subject to change  
depending on the recipient's behavior.  And regardless of how low a  
person sinks, I will never follow them down to that level by actively  
showing disrespect for their humanity. 

That way lies the Shoa and  genocide. 

Nearer to, there lies rudeness and incivility.  In  between are abuse and 
discrimination. 

We all live in this society  and the constant rubbing of human beings in 
the brownian motion of life  demands the lubricant of good manners, 
civility, and respect.   Without it, all our lives would be the worse. 

Kindly show me the  respect of refering to my party as the Democratic 
party.  I'll return  the favor by addressing you by the nomenclature you 
request. 


And I respectfully disagree that respect, as the dictionaries define  it, is 
due to everyone.  "Deferential regard."  
 
Again, perhaps this reflects internal inconsistencies in my thoughts  and 
practices.  My children, the youths in my church group, the  students I teach, 
the attorneys across from whom I have practiced, all will  tell you, I believe, 
that I treat people decently, that I am not a "taker," that  I give place to 
others, that I often model preferring others over myself in love  and devotion. 
 No, I am not perfect.  In fact, this approach is a  characteristic of my 
nature.  
 
But "deferential regard" is another matter entirely.  
 
When the flag of the United States is saluted with a performance of the  
National Anthem, I stand still with my hand on my heart.  In major part  that act 
of "deferential regard" reflects on the selfless devotion of those who  gave 
for our liberty-blessed land the last full measure of their  devotion.  And, 
when the Pope speaks -- and I am not Catholic -- I listen  in duly respectful 
silence and then consider his words.  
 
But I'll be dog-gonned if I am going to stand still and salute the flag of  
the Chicomms or the North Koreans.  Some folks have purchased my respect by  
their labors, their faithful service, their self-sacrifice, their devotion to  
duty.  Others than them, I recognize to be true objects of God's love and  
affection, and I treat them accordingly.  But "deferential disregard" is  not due 
to them.
 
Nor, have I yet been responsible for Shoa or Holocaust, because those who  
see in every other person the object of God's love and affection need not  
respect the desire of others to be called right when they are wrong but  they do no 
harm to those others for that reason.
 
Jim Henderson
Senior Counsel
ACLJ
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.ucla.edu/pipermail/religionlaw/attachments/20050721/da2b3898/attachment.html