RESPECT
Respect
Our morals,
Our manners,
Our foundations
Let’s be honest. This initiative is undoubtedly the easiest part of the movement. We all know we’ve been heading downward for a long time and it’s going to take a long time to bring us back. This could be discouraging. Regaining trust is never easy. But if we don’t continue working on it, the alternative is to keep heading downward.
In 2020, surveys said 21% of us trusted government to do the right thing. Since then this has dropped to 16%, and the most recent survey? 8%. Trust can only happen if we increase respect. You can’t have one without the other. The bright side is that 80% of us think we can turn this around. This initiative is counting on help from the 80%, and hoping the other 20% will join in as well.
Why Respect?
Let’s leave this to the experts.
Dr. Thomas Sowell, 93 year old Senior Fellow, Stanford Univ., says “The foundation of a civilized society is mutual respect. Without mutual respect, there can be no cooperation, no trust, and no social order.”
Jonathan Haidt, Social Scientist, New York University agrees and adds in there can also be “no peace. In politics, respect is essential to building consensus, and for making progress on important issues.”
Sarah Binder, author and professor, George Washington University, says “Respect is essential for a functioning democracy. It allows us to disagree without being disagreeable.”
Let’s repeat this one thing: “Respect is essential for a functioning democracy.”
How Respect Works
It’s easy to understand why respect is so important.
Respect makes a seachange in attitudes and in
peoples lives, including our own, whether we give
or receive respect. It decreases loneliness, stimulating
a change in attitude which could include reduced
aggression and increased empathy and kindness
toward each other.
In communities, it increases social capital
(or goodwill), helping people to reconnect,
to turn the tide toward something better,
to rebuild trust and open the door to more
tolerance of others, thus rebuilding society.
In government or business, progress and
creativity are increased,along with more common sense discussions, which leads to better problem-solving. So it does what we need most in government as it helps our leaders to lead, to work together, and develop solutions, instead of leaving us to argue over lingering divisive issues.
A Note from Brenda, Return to Respect’s Creator
I am the least important part here, but just so you know how this motion began. C’mon America, Return to Respect, is an idea, not an organization. It is meant to be a loosely knit, joining together of the organizations working toward bringing people back together, to reduce polarization, to make life better for all, joined then by others everywhere who want to help in turning away from division.
It takes very little to become one of the sponsors - just put out 4-5 signs or window clings and send us some photos. My idea is that there is so much more power, and recognition, and exposure with increased numbers, and what better to coalesce around than respect for each other.
A very visible display of the word respect across the country is a way of saying, especially to our elected leaders and the media, that we are tired of the rhetoric, the name-calling, the hatred, and the finger-pointing. We need an end to the search for “aha” moments, for jumping every time someone stumbles along the way (whether real or implied), an end to the articles that are intended to enflame and outrage. We’ve been kept angry for far too long.
The polarization or dividing of each other has led to seriously bad effects throughout our nation. In Congress, it is clearly visible. In 1958, when I graduated from high school, 76% of us trusted our elected officials to do the right thing. Sure, we were somewhat naive and very uninformed by today’s standards, but with only 8% of us trusting our elected officials now, it’s time to do something about it.
Our hope is that our leaders will pick up and give us better role models for the rest of us to follow, including the media. C’mon America, Return to Respect, is asking just that, and the more people and organizations and businesses, musical groups and celebrities who join in, the better our chance of making everyone’s life a little bit better.
Will you take a few minutes to put out a sign for a return to respect and email us a photo? You can then sit back satisfied that you are a big part of something that can make the future a little brighter beginning in 2024.
cmonamerica.org
www.cmonamericagroup@gmail.com