Ken’s Take: Worth reading and internalizing … especially during the holiday season …
* * * * *
Excerpted from Richmond Times-Dispatch: The Shameful Decline of Shame, by Robin Beres, December 27, 2009
Webster’s New World College Dictionary defines shame as a painful feeling of having lost the respect of others because of the improper behavior, incompetence, etc. of oneself or another; or as a dishonor or disgrace.
Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and Lindsay Lohan have all gotten rich (or richer) from behaving like tramps. As we are treated to an unending series of newscasts on their panty-free nights out, their homemade sex tapes, and trashy photography shoots, the media glorify these women for being nothing more than what Americans once referred to as sluts.
Gov. Eliot Spitzer was caught fooling around on his wife with a high-priced escort; Spitzer’s replacement, David Paterson, quickly admitted to numerous affairs — as well as marijuana and cocaine use; when South Carolina governor Mark Sanford’s dalliance with his sultry soul mate became public, he opted to remain as governor; and, oh yeah, how about that Tiger Woods?
It seems that — even outside the steamy world of celebrity sex-capades — shame has become an outmoded concept.
Being judgmental or critical of actions that are immoral or wrong is now considered politically incorrect.
- No longer is there any shame in staying on welfare or having a child out of wedlock.
- There is no shame in being just a mediocre student in school.
- Elbows on the dinner table and interrupting are accepted.
- People rudely talk on their cells and text any time, any place.
- Screaming at someone in public is OK.
- We put up with crude, even filthy, language.
- We teach our kids that self-esteem is something entitled simply because one exists.
Perhaps a little old-fashioned shame could serve us well.
This is not to advocate a return to the harsh judgments of yesteryear. No one wants to see someone tarred and feathered for making poor choices or behaving badly — but perhaps just a wee touch of accountability could have some positive effects.
Edmund Burke wrote: “shame keeps watch so that virtue is not wholly extinguished from the heart.”
Since we don’t have the great number of stern nuns around anymore to chastise our bad behavior, perhaps it is up to us to start acting like grown-ups and demand better behavior from our politicians, our celebrities, and even ourselves.
Full article:
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-BERES27_20091225-192807/313566/
The Homa Files 
Leave a comment