Respect

Cat Hexamer

First the dirty looks, then the insults and gossip. Is this how a person deserves to be treated? No. This is how some youth treat people they don’t know that are different.
People raised in this generation are disrespectful towards others and don’t see anything wrong with it. They think that its normal. I’ve seen what this can do to a person. People with low self-esteem are torn apart and feel like they aren’t worth it. I’ve witnessed people falling apart reverting to self-harm and after hearing certain insults repeatedly you start to believe them.
Those receiving the disrespect, especially those that are disrespected daily, have two responses to it: one they feel like it’s their fault and they deserve it taking it in and only letting out the emotions out when they are alone. The second kind get angry either letting that anger out on themselves or others.
Things that I have seen at East that are disrespectful are lunch trays left all throughout the lunchroom, food fights, students ignoring their teachers, even students spreading gossip about others. Things that they know aren’t true.
Also, high schoolers can leave for lunch to eat at different places. I’ve witnessed a high school student go to McDonald’s and throw her drink at another high schooler and then as the worker cleaned up she trash talked the workers she got kicked out and then called the manager disrespectful after she had been asked to stop and warned many times. The manager had to threaten to call the police before the student would leave.
One thing that some people in this generation are missing is a filter. Something that keeps them from saying the first thing that pops in their head. This ignorance leads to the people on the receiving end hurting and, in some cases, both lose a good friend that could have been avoided if they kept their anger in check and watched their words.
We should be nice. Instead of spreading gossip spread the word love show people that they are worth it. As sad as it is many people are mistreated at home. Being mistreated leads them to feel like they deserve the disrespect or worse they take their emotions out on themselves or others.
Next time that you see someone sitting alone, join them and start a conversation. You never know what someone is going through. Your friendship may just save their life.