Christian
Education
Outreach USA

Large segments of the youth population no longer make a distinction between their personal peers and the adult population. Some young people have not been taught to respect their elders.  It is disturbing to hear some young people say they only respect their parents and have little or no respect for other adults.  Some parents are teaching their children to refrain from saying, “yes sir” or “no sir.” They are teaching them to say, “yes” or “no” to everyone regardless of the age or position of the person. There are parents who do not believe children should address other adults with the title of Mr. or Mrs. and they should not show respect by saying yes sir or yes ma’am.

The pursuit of youth is one of the reasons some parents oppose the idea of teaching their children to use titles that signal respect when they talk with or address other adults. Lots of parents are in competition with their children in trying to stay young. They do not want to be referred to as Mr. or Mrs. because it is a reminder they are growing older.  
A society that allows children and youth to lose respect for adults and the elderly is doomed to failure and despair.  
Some youth say, “You have to give respect to get respect.” This may be true, but there are some institutions that demand respect whether it is earned or not such as the military and the prison system.

When I was in the military, I showed respect for officers who had not earned my respect. I respected them because they represented the institution of the military. If I had a disagreement with a superior officer, I would always say, “Sir, I respectfully disagree.”  Officers were greeted with a salute as a sign of respect and they were addressed with the title of sir. If a young person can learn within a short period to address a young lieutenant who may be in his early 20s as sir, they can respect those who are old enough to be their parents by saying, “yes sir” or “no ma’am.”
Young soldiers show respect for officers in the military because they realize their lives may depend on obeying the orders of an officer in a combat zone. Certain institutions are worthy of respect even if the men or women who represent the institutions are not worthy of respect.  

During basic training, soldiers who failed to salute an officer were ordered to immediately drop and do a specified number of pushups. It was always “yes sir” or “no sir” in the military and it was “yes sir,” “no sir,” “yes ma’am,” “no ma’am” when I grew up as a boy. The institution of family was established by God for the nurturing and protection of children. Parents are the chief administrators of the family. The family is not a democracy. Children are to honor and respect their parents but it is also important for parents to love and treat their children with dignity.  

According to historians, the Roman Empire was not destroyed by a superior military power. Poor public health conditions, the rapid rise of diseases and the escalation of alcoholism were conditions that contributed to the downfall of Rome.  
Perhaps the most devastating blow to the Roman Empire was a decline of morals and values. Urban crime increased at an alarming rate. The family structure failed because of disrespect for the institution of marriage that resulted in an increase of sexual immorality. Ancient Rome, like the United States of America, can trace its moral dilemma back to a failure of honoring established moral laws and teachings such as the Christian scripture that says “do unto others as you would have them do unto to you.”  

The failure to obey the commandment of honoring parents is also a major reason why America is experiencing a moral dilemma.  A healthy respect for the institutions of the church, the family, and marriage is essential to avoid a total moral collapse. America is at a crossroad; respect for authority must be reinstituted. Perhaps teaching children and youth to address adults as Mr. Mrs. or Miss. would be a great start along with encouraging them to say, “yes ma’am” and “no sir” when they address adults.  

All institutions should encourage children to show respect for their elders and peers. The church, the schools, the community and the entertainment media complex along with the print media can set an example for youth by addressing the elderly, especially those who are older than age 70 as Mr. or Mrs. Society has an obligation to produce law-abiding citizens. It is time to encourage children to say, “yes sir,” “yes ma’am” and for them to address adults as Mr. Mrs. or Miss. If one child avoids going to jail because they learned to respect authority, it will be worth the effort.