By: Matthew Balsinger

Aretha Franklin sang a very famous song about it.  Its presence has the power to build our reputations to uncharted heights, while the lack of it has the power to demolish every part of our reputations.  It is what binds us all in society.  That little thing which is so important to us all is respect.

Many students around the university often complain about professors and the general education classes they must take with them.  Just the other day a professor in one of my geology classes was telling us the sheer disrespectful things that students in her general education class were doing to her.

Little do these students know that a little respect may be the very thing they need to succeed in their class.  Lack of respect does no one any good, especially when it is toward the professors who are teaching your class and are in charge of your grade.

Another place we can often find disrespect is in our own personal lives.  Many of us complain about significant others, family and friends.  We miss opportunities with them and we often forget how important they are to us.  We disrespect those that are closest to us by not acknowledging what they mean to us.  Friendships and relationships form, flourish and flounder all because of that little word respect.

Even on the national stage we can see that there is clearly lack of respect between us as peoples. This nation was built upon the very foundation of mutual respect for all.  We may disagree and we may not see eye to eye, but we can and must respect the liberties of others.  And this country has restlessly striven to meet that foundational dream.

It is important that we take the time to reflect on how respectful we are to those in our everyday lives, because it says a lot about us as people.  Many of the problems that we face in this world and in our own lives can easily be solved by simply treating each other as decent human beings.