Jimmy Carter steals Jackson and Sharpton's thunder

[Moto44]

I'm gonna come right out and say it:

Most of us try very hard not to say anything racist or act in a way that could be described as prejudicial. It has largely become socially unacceptable, and that's a good thing.

However, regardless of your race, religion, gender, age, physical size, or sexual preference, here's the rules:

1. It is true that all people deserve respect, but you have to give it in return.

2. We expect everybody to take personal responsibility, not play the blame game.

3. Everyone experiences prejudice at some level. Just because you have experienced prejudice doesn't make it acceptable for you to be prejudiced.

[ezmoney]

Originally Posted by Moto44

1. It is true that all people deserve respect, but you have to give it in return.

I think that all people have to earn respect, not all people deserve it.
Would you say that Charles Manson deserves our respect? I could name hundreds of others but the one example that I cite should suffice.

If someone has earned respect they should be respected. There are times when the office that someone holds deserves respect even if the office holder does not. Since this thread is about James Earl Carter I will use him as my example. The office he held deserves our respect but his latest behavior has shown that he personally does not IMHO.

[Moto44]

Originally Posted by ezmoney

I think that all people have to earn respect, not all people deserve it.

I expected this response, and I disagree. When you meet someone new, do you hold them in low esteem until they prove worthy? Isn't it better to give respect and be respectful until you have been given a reason to feel or act otherwise?

[Cardinal]

Originally Posted by Moto44

I expected this response, and I disagree. When you meet someone new, do you hold them in low esteem until they prove worthy? Isn't it better to give respect and be respectful until you have been given a reason to feel or act otherwise?

I look at it this way: Let's say we have a scale from 1 - 10, 10 being highest. When I meet someone, they are automatically a 5, then we go from there.

[Moto44]

So, in essence, you don't respect them and you don't disrespect them. I submit that's not the best approach.

[mopho]

Originally Posted by Rob T

Yeah, God forbid that you should actually *gasp* take a stand on something in a political discussion!

I don't believe in God, and again, why do you have the need to bait me into taking a stand? So you and a bunch of other people can take every little bit of minutia I type out of context, start an argument and prove your "superior intellect"? Will that make you feel better? Don't you have enough people to argue with?
Sorry, it's just too much of a time suck to defend against such attacks, and it's just not worth it to have a pointless circular discussion with people who are unwilling to change their minds

It's based on the Obama Administration's own estimates! How exactly is that "biased"?

Since when does an estimate mean it's going to happen for sure? The video acts as if the money has already been spent. And again, it doesn't take into consideration what Obama has had to deal with or that Bush was well on his way to doing the same

Fair enough. I can only account for myself and other conservatives that I have discussed these issues with, and I can promise you that there has been plenty of criticism of Bush's spending policies.

I also gave you other specific examples of conservatives criticism of Bush, including SCHIP, the Prescription Drug Plan, No Child Left Behind, the nomination of Harriet Myers to the Supreme Court, and amnesty for illegal aliens.

That's great that you and your buddies have discussed it amongst yourselves, but that doesn't prove my observations wrong

But you have not done that.

Because you refuse to see it


More hypocrisy, you guys are complaining about being generalized as racists based on the actions of a few. And yet the right uses the same kind of tactics, claiming that those on welfare are all "Lazy" or those that can't afford healthcare are all "lazy" or "don't take care of themselves" etc. There are plenty more examples, but I don't have any more time for this this thread, I have someplace to be




.

[ezmoney]

Originally Posted by Moto44

I expected this response, and I disagree. When you meet someone new, do you hold them in low esteem until they prove worthy? Isn't it better to give respect and be respectful until you have been given a reason to feel or act otherwise?

When you meet someone new you should be courteous (polite and considerate and civil) to them. Respect as I said before is something that must be earned.
Definition of respect (noun)
form: no plural
honor; esteem; high regard; consideration; attention
esteem: the condition of being honored (esteemed or respected or well regarded); "it is held in esteem"; "a man who has earned high regard"

[Cardinal]

Originally Posted by ezmoney

When you meet someone new you should be courteous (polite and considerate and civil) to them. Respect as I said before is something that must be earned.
Definition of respect (noun)
form: no plural
honor; esteem; high regard; consideration; attention
esteem: the condition of being honored (esteemed or respected or well regarded); "it is held in esteem"; "a man who has earned high regard"

That's basically what I was trying to say.

[Rob T]

Originally Posted by mopho

I don't believe in God, and again, why do you have the need to bait me into taking a stand? So you and a bunch of other people can take every little bit of minutia I type out of context, start an argument and prove your "superior intellect"? Will that make you feel better? Don't you have enough people to argue with?
Sorry, it's just too much of a time suck to defend against such attacks, and it's just not worth it to have a pointless circular discussion with people who are unwilling to change their minds

You are just being downright ridiculous. Why participate at all in these threads if you aren't even going to take a stand?

Since when does an estimate mean it's going to happen for sure? The video acts as if the money has already been spent. And again, it doesn't take into consideration what Obama has had to deal with or that Bush was well on his way to doing the same

Happen for sure? Are you serious? This is based on the spending budgets and bailout packages that have already been passed! You think that the money won't actually be spent?

That's great that you and your buddies have discussed it amongst yourselves, but that doesn't prove my observations wrong

Your "observations" are nothing more than a very weak attempt at trying to prove that we are "hypocrites" for not criticizing Bush for excessive spending. It's ridiculous. It's wrong. You are wrong.

You also continually fail to acknowledge the difference in degrees of the spending between the two, with weak ass attempts like "an estimate doesn't mean it's going to happen for sure".

Because you refuse to see it

How can I see something if you have not shown it?

More hypocrisy, you guys are complaining about being generalized as racists based on the actions of a few. And yet the right uses the same kind of tactics, claiming that those on welfare are all "Lazy" or those that can't afford healthcare are all "lazy" or "don't take care of themselves" etc. There are plenty more examples, but I don't have any more time for this this thread, I have someplace to be

Actions of a few? We are talking about Democrats in Congress and a former President of the United States!

It's not like we are talking about a few far left wing nutjobs in the general public. We are talking about far left wing nutjobs in Government!

[ivan1]

How can you have a discussion about respect without invoking the one true authority on the subject.....

<embed src="http://www.metacafe.com/fplayer/829635/respek.swf" width="400" height="345" wmode="transparent" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" name="Metacafe_829635"> </embed>

[ezmoney]

R-E-S-P-E-C-T
The original by Aretha Franklin

YouTube - Aretha Franklin - Respect

A copy that is excellent

YouTube - Respect ( Aretha Franklin ) ; acoustic cover

[Moto44]

Suppose a friend tells you, "I would like to introduce you to the king of Sweden." Although you've never met the man and know nothing of him, chances are you will be prepared to greet him with a high degree of respect. Yet, he has done nothing in your eyes to earn this?

[ivan1]

Originally Posted by Moto44

Suppose a friend tells you, "I would like to introduce you to the king of Sweden." Although you've never met the man and know nothing of him, chances are you will be prepared to greet him with a high degree of respect. Yet, he has done nothing in your eyes to earn this?

I dont know if that is really respect, or more courtesy/civility as ezmoney said.....now the Swedish bikini team - them I would respect....

You dont have to know someone personally though to respect them - they could have earned your respect by their actions/deeds - but they still have earned it, it wasnt a given.....

[ezmoney]

Originally Posted by Moto44

Suppose a friend tells you, "I would like to introduce you to the king of Sweden." Although you've never met the man and know nothing of him, chances are you will be prepared to greet him with a high degree of respect. Yet, he has done nothing in your eyes to earn this?

I said in my previous post I can respect the office he holds. Should I bow to him like Obama bowed to Saudi King Abdullah?

[Cardinal]

Originally Posted by Moto44

Suppose a friend tells you, "I would like to introduce you to the king of Sweden." Although you've never met the man and know nothing of him, chances are you will be prepared to greet him with a high degree of respect. Yet, he has done nothing in your eyes to earn this?

In this case, it's not so much the man, but his position and what he represents. To me, as a King, he represents his entire country. You wouldn't see him as just a guy, but a Monarch. That's different altogether IMO.

That being said, I treat new people I meet with courtesy and kindness, and go from there.

[Moto44]

Christianity suggests something that I think is wonderful. Treat every person you meet as though they may be Jesus in disguise. You don't have to be a Christian to apply this simple concept.

[cy9]

Still it doesn't matter if half the protestors are racists, it does not negate the point the protestors are making, which has nothing to do with race. And democrats whining about it is an illegimate attempt to distract from the argument. Pelosi is purposefully using fear tactics to do this:

RealClearPolitics - Video - Pelosi Chokes Up Warning Against Political "Violence"

If you can't see it, you're a fool. Calling the protestors 'teabaggers' further exposes the hypocrisy.

[Kjakk]

Originally Posted by ezmoney

I said in my previous post I can respect the office he holds. Should I bow to him like Obama bowed to Saudi King Abdullah?

No you should just hold hands with him like Bush did.

[Lotus Fury]

The problem is that the people protesting against the fiscal waste are being bunched in with the racists - no matter how few there are. Rush really isn't helping the matter:
Raw Story Limbaugh: We need segregated buses

Until the Republicans take the time to expunge these jackasses from the party instead of the moderates the Republican's aren't going to get ANY traction on the issue. Again, when the Republicans are minorities in both houses of Congress, a minority of the Governorships and we don't have a Republican President what kind of voice do we have? We're become the whiny minority.

[Moto44]

It may seem I belabor the point, but "respect" cuts straight to the heart of the matter, with regard to racism, and all the other isms, for that matter.

Respect is a funny thing. We guard the respect we give out so carefully. Yet, we bumble through our lives unaware of the multitude of ways that our words and actions are taken as "disrespectful" by others. We are all so keenly aware of even the slightest amount of disrespect show to ourselves.

Much like "love", "respect" is a concept so broad that it cannot be defined by a few words in a dictionary definition. I suspect most people get caught up in a double standard believing that respect has to be earned, yet expecting to be treated with respect from everyone around us. The slightest infraction and we are ready to blow the whistle and call "foul".

You will note that the definition of the word "respect" above includes the word "consideration". Easy to overlook. However, this one is huge.

Consideration...to be considerate. What is it we are to consider?...

Another person's point of view.

Easy to overlook when we are busy trying to get others to understand our own.