As an immigrant coming from the Philippines to the United States, a powerful and respected nation compared to others, the first thing I saw was disrespect among the people.
The students were disrespecting their teachers, superiors and even each other. This was a culture shock for me, especially as a young kid starting a new life in a new country. Even though I came from a private Catholic school, I knew that in public schools, any of the offenses listed above could lead to the student’s expulsion. However, these types of behaviors in public education institutions are a common occurrence in the United States. There are no limits to the students’ behavior toward one another.
Those who misbehave and disrespect their teachers are sent to detention. After detention, they go back to their old ways. If students are allowed to talk back to their superiors and only have detention as a disciplinary act, which is basically a free day or class period for them, when and how will they learn to respect?
I’ve heard the students use their “rights” as an excuse for their behavior. They have freedom of speech, which means they have the right to say whatever they want. Students may be able to say what they want but they don’t have the right to disrespect. Many abuse the rights given to them and use it against others.
Since some are not accustomed to being respectful, as adults, respect is still unfamiliar to them. Today, many insult the LGBT community, religions and nationalities without thinking that they are disrespecting human beings. Ironically, people shout for human rights as well. Many people use their rights in malicious ways to insult people they may dislike or oppose.
One of America’s characteristics is discrimination, which is a form of disrespect. The United States is a wonderful country but its self-admiration leaves it with more to be desired.
