Respect begets Respect

I look at my news feed and see a video of a Baranggay Kagawad slapping a security guard .  Instantly my initial thoughts were "Was it really necessary for this person to do what he did?" and then  somehow I form a slow judgment in my mind.  But then I thought about my own experiences and decided to read through the article.

Here's what I realized.  As my mom would always put it, there are always three sides to every story.  Mine, the other person's and the truth.  Sometimes, people are fixated in digging up the truth that they lose out on the fact that along the way somebody else (other than themselves) is probably hurting as much or maybe probably more. Who knows?  In such cases, what good does it make if we dwell on a barrage of stories that ping-pong back and forth?  What good does it really make to point out who was right when only God knows the real story.

The fact is that we supposedly live in a non-confrontational society.  And when people point out each other's differences, the initial reaction is usually not very nice.  When faced with ridicule, some put up a fight and carry their weight around while others stay on the sidelights and keep their mouth shut.  Some people say they're okay with criticism but they go to sleep with bitterness in their hearts.  Some people, on the other hand, take criticism to heart, get what they can from it and change for the better.  

Before the Brgy. Kagawad slapped the security guard, there were probably a series of events that provoked him to.  In the same way that the security guard believed that he did nothing wrong (which probably he might have who knows).  Obviously a case of miscommunication that went out of control.  In this case, would it help if we dissect everything by asking who said what or who did what first?  I honestly think not.  What difference would it make to point fingers and trace every little detail, really?  Nothing.

The golden rule says "Do unto others what you want others to do unto you."  But don't we all fail in this regard every other time?  It's the sad truth.  At the end of the day, I believe that everybody deserves respect.  You don't have to like someone, you just have to respect them.  It is supposed to be given to every single soul in this planet.   

In this regard, the planet is divided as well.  Some say respect is earned, some say it is deserved.  I say let's all agree to disagree. Just like in marriage or every other relationship for that matter, when respect is lost things are bound to fail.  So for me it is something that should be given to everybody - a right every person deserves.  Then again, that's just me. <3