Changing Standards

It seems that in 2007, we no longer seem to view good manners as particularly important. I'm not just alking about standing up for the elderly or infirm on a bus, or holding the door open for someone else to pass through (although those things are rare enough these days), but the general behaviour of people - spitting in the street, using swear-words as a matter of course; all of these things seem to indicate a downward spiral in the way we are today.
My Grandfather, a wise man of the world, used to say that people who swear all the time do so as they lack the intelligence to express themselves adequately. Certainly, a couple of generations ago, swearing was intended to shock. When an otherwise intelligent person let a stream of 'Dockyards' language fall from their lips, it was an indictor of extreme anger and/or provokation.
But nowadays it really does seem as though it has become habit. Jut look at programmes like Big Brother. Every sentence seems to be very liberally sprinkled with the F-word - and Charley is one of the main offenders. It's sad that many young women seem to speak like this. Listening to the way the kids from the local secondary speak - and we have no choice but to listen, as they speak at the top of their voices - it is disgusting, especially, considering that they walk past youngsters from the 4 local primary schools. These kids appear, in ones or twos, to be intelligent and coherent, but en masse feel that the only way to communicate to each other is to swear like navvies. That said, the language they use would probably make navvies blush.
The simple fact is, swearing, profanity, blaspheming, whatever we choose to call it, is intended to shock. By allowing it into everyday conversation, it loses this power, and even becomes less offensive, and that in itself is defeating the object of the exercise, surely?
Many of these kids may have learned these dubious language 'skills' from their parents. Heaven knows it can be seen and heard every day, mothers and fathers yelling at littles ones in the basist of terms. That, at least, still has the power to make most of us cringe, especially as, when these little ones start to develop their own speech, an almighty clanger is dropped, which seems to horrify those same parents. Why? We all know that little ones pickup speech by imitating those around them, so doesn't it register with these people that their offspring will copy those words?
And the behaviour appears to be a physical form of swearing, now. Around here, we have to be quick to dodge big green groilies on the pavement. At night, no matter how softly someone walks, you can hear the unmistakeable sound of the throat being prepared to hawk up. It is possibly one of the most revolting noises to wake a person from their slumber - almost as bad as hearing the end result hitting the ground. I feel sorry for the street-cleaners. Fancy having to come across that at 6.30am. No wonder TB and the like is becoming more common.
Dog owners, usually of Rottweillers, Pitbulls and the like, stand noncholantly while the beast does it's business, before wandering off (the dogs are rarely on a lead, or muzzled), ignoring the great steaming pile, which has usually been deposited on the entrance to our pathway into the square, meaning that it's not unusual to hear one of the residents with little ones shout: 'Who's trodden in dog's s***?' Bad language can be excused on occasions like this. All around this area rings the cry 'Watch where you're walking', and residents are often observed leaving their homes 15 minutes early to allow the extra time needed to dodge and weave around various deposits. If you must let your dog leave without disposing of the result, could you at least take them to the gutter, where the rain may wash it away?
Then there's the lack of basic courtesy that exists today. I know that those same schoolkids may have many important things going on - who's texted who, who's going with who, who can offend the most people before returning to school - but a bit of aknowledgement that there are other people walking along the same bit of pavement, would help. Especially when an elderly person is walking along. They do sometimes say 'Excuse me' when trying to get past ('tho they can also be very rude), but I have often seen them rudely pushed past, or worse, barged out of the way. And for this behaviour, whoever you are, and however old you may be, SHAME ON YOU! I know that many young people feel villified just because of their age. Yes, it's very true that some elderly people are extremely rude to them for no other reason than their youth, and for that reason those same elderly people should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves, but it is very sad that young people stop making the effort with their own manners because of this. Two wrongs don't make a right, and if you allow others to influence your own behavior and attitudes, then it seems that you do not have much strength of mind.
When all is said, it would be lovely if respect was about how we all treated each other, young or old, rich or poor, and less about who 'looked' at someone the wrong way. Makes no sense, does it, that the very people who dress like they do, and speak in profanities, then object when they are noticed for it. It's less about others disrespecting them, and more about others wondering if these people have any self respect.
To all the people who swear and barge and generally stick up two fingers to the rest of the world, if you speak to and behave in a manner that generally is pleasurable to others, those same people will generally behave in a more acceptable way towards you. There will always be those, from every generation, who behave badly, but without those few, you'd have nothing to measure your own attitudes against. Show you have self respect, and 9 times out of 10, you will be respected.