Dishonor, Disrespect, Dis Some Bullshit (Rant)

I was walking through the Post Exchange a few weeks ago and a book caught my eye, called Why Black Men Love White Women. It's a unique enough title, I suppose- then again, why would one choose a title that didn't cry for attention? Anyhow, after the image of the book had popped into my head multiple times, I finally gave in and bought the damn thing, though I'd be lying if I said I expected much of it. Societal-analytical literature tends to cover a very narrow view point, and a very limited area of the human psyche.
I suppose it's only fair to note that I'm more than exhausted as I write this, and that benedryl may have some effect on my flow.
To continue, I've been more and more interested in the way human beings, as individuals, and as a whole, treat one another, from simple reaction to the very initiation of interaction. I often wonder if I could possibly have anything new to contribute to the views that run amok out there. I somehow doubt it, but I tend to have a great appreciation for how these habits affect me and how frequently my reactions or interactions are nothing more than societal dictations. All cultural, religious, moral and federal laws and even our basic, almost intuitive rules for how we interact as human beings are based on the idea of free will. Where, though, does free will meet or overlap with how we are trained as individuals? Labels hidden under the pretense of being diagnoses are everywhere these days- a happy, active school-age child is now no longer deemed 'hyper' or 'friendly', they are labeled to have 'Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder'. A moody teen or young adult, even under abnormal amounts of stress, is considered Bipolar, rather than stressed out. Alcoholism, eating disorders, drug addicts- all diseases requiring medication, rather than basic re-training. I remember hearing frequently that "everyone blames the parents" but I can't, in my lifetime, remember a point that this was true. In fact, in the last twenty-something years, I think parents- mothers in particular- are getting off easy, especially the ones that do it alone. Did someone put out a memo that parents were no longer responsible for their childrens' mental well-being as well as physical? Fathers often are pointed at for being absent or not having quite enough presence in the child's life. Some take too much blame. No one, in my memory or knowledge, ever told the public that being a parent- single or otherwise- was ever going to be easy. Life in general is hard. Giving birth to children is a responsibility taken far too lightly these days- a harsh counter to the once strict rules of never having children out of wedlock that existed not so long ago. Is it human nature to rebel against the rules, to try to change them? Is waiting til at least marriage, if not maturity, to have children really such an awful idea? When did we fall out of love with balance, with family, with tradition and respect and faith and manners? I am coming upon my twenty-third birthday, and already I wonder what happened to simply respecting one another's basic humanity? Doesn't it strike a chord with anyone else that a child is scolded as being a smart ass when they respond to their parent with the term 'ma'am' or 'sir'? It wasn't so very long ago that the junior person in a conversation was considered rude for not using such a term. What happened to these days?
What's worse is that people have not only lost respect for others, but they've lost respect for themselves. Peer pressure is a viable marketing tool in this day and age. Ads for various condom companies play nearly back-to-back on television, showing attractive, sensual people in action, in bathrooms, alleys, cars- nearly everywhere. I remember as a child noticing that movies and television rarely depicted physical affection between two adults that were not married in that venue. It's far less likely to see married couples depicted at all anymore, everyone is so in love with the wildness of modern-day single life. I have never considered myself anything along the lines of old-school, hell, I don't even consider myself a republican. I don't disagree, personally, with abortion as a whole, I have no issues of my own with sexual preferences or people of different races, or interracial relationships. I am not opposed to many of these things that so many people seem to be. I can't accept that any mass-ruling on a topic can ever be right. Not all expecting mothers feel the need to consider abortion, not all humans feel the need to engage in romantic relationships with people of the same gender, and not all of us were born with pale skin- but in each case, there are people who do or are. I, personally, don't see a thing wrong with that. At the same time, what is wrong with waiting until marriage to experience physical love? What is wrong with showing respect to someone with more years of experience than yourself? What is wrong with not expecting everyone to conform to the modern-day standards of rebellion? When did disrespecting ourselves and one another become the norm?
Recently, very recently, our new Commander-In-Chief was elected. It made headlines worldwide- he is the first African-American President of The United States Of America. Many people point to this as a sign of how far we've come, how much we've progressed throughout the generations. I have nothing negative to say about my new boss. I simply don't take it as a sign of maturing as a people, of becoming more respectful of this race or that religion- we are now free to disrespect everyone equally.