As a child I was taught to respect my elders because that was the way it was growing up in Florida during the civil rights era. But there always existed two levels of respect. The white man’s version, and what was left over for the black man. I watched black men my age call white men half their age “boss” just to be able to keep their jobs in a time before the federal government showed any concern about minorities. Dr. King and the civil rights act of 1964 made a positive move towards respect for all who call America home. The basic concept of respect does not always mean one person will get it from another.  It is a mutual act between two or more people.

The mass migration of millions of people fleeing war, poverty, natural and man-made disasters a lot of it comes from what we as humans have always had a problem with others who are different from us. Respect. We are more comfortable with disrespect of those who we see as inferior. That is the reality of who we are as a species. The times we now live in demand that we learn to respect and care for each other as human beings or we will disrespect ourselves into oblivion.