What Ever Happened to Respect?

[Titus2woman]

I like the idea of respect but only when it is deserved. I feel that when a person becomes a public figure they open themselves up to public scrutiny. There have always been bad leaders but in other times and places they were mostly those who could not be spoken against under threat of death. I don't really ever want to see that happen here.

The plain truth is that in this information age, we can know more about the people in power than we ever have before. We are also more free to have opinions than ever before. So it seems that in this time and place the question becomes how should that information be used. Where does the right to personal privacy end and the right to public knowledge begin?

In example, it is rumored that Pres. John Kennedy had affairs, however, during his time those things were brushed aside or covered up. Bill Clinton also had an affair while in office... So was it our right as the voiting public to know that? Was lying about something personal, that could have destroyed his marriage and family an impeachable offense? I know I did not feel personally enlightened by knowing the details of his tryst nor did it influence how I saw him as a president. Still it did cause a huge loss of respect for him with many other people I know.

So then do we say that those who no longer respect someone because of their conduct should keep it to themselves for the sake respect of their position? Is that not how the RCC managed to hide molesters of children for decades?

Very complicated... hummm?