Disrespect != Dissent

Yesterday I mentioned that there used to be a time when people helped little old ladies cross the street, rather than cite them for not moving fast enough. Then I read the following article, and I can't help but wonder what the hell has happened to our country.

A loud mixture of cheers and boos greeted Vice President Dick Cheney on Tuesday as he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Washington Nationals baseball game.

Cheney, wearing a red Nationals warmup jacket, tossed a pitch that reached Nationals catcher Brian Schneider on one bounce.

The vice president, whose popularity is slumping along with that of President Bush, walked out on the field to cheering and booing from the near-sellout crowd. The boos appeared to be little louder than the cheers at RFK Memorial Stadium.

Many years ago, I had a chance to see former President George H.W. Bush as his motorcade drove by. At the time, I didn't like him much, but while I was standing in that crowd watching him go by, I never would have thought of "boo'ing" him.

A few years later, I was fortunate enough (cough) to hear a speech from former President Bill Clinton. As much as I despised his political idealogy, I stood when he entered the room, I listened politely, and I applauded him when he concluded his speech.

Why? It's called respect. Respect for the man. Respect for the office.

I am sure some people will pipe in saying that respect must be earned, blah, blah, blah, but that's not true.

You don't have to know someone before you treat them with respect and you don't have to show disrespect to prove you don't agree with them.

Don't get me wrong. Dissent is a good thing. Differing opinions are necessary for a healthy democracy, but disrespect does not equal dissent. It never has, and it never will.