By: Lexi Rael, Staff Writer

“You have to give respect to get respect.” A lot of people are familiar with this quote in today’s society, but is this quote a good one? If people are waiting for respect to be given before they give respect, they will all be stuck waiting. Someone has to take that first step. Respect is the most important part of character.

Being respectful is one of the six pillars of character. It is being taught in most schools around Iowa from kindergarten on up. Kids may feel too pressured to have perfect character and feel they don’t have to show respect all the time, but this is they have the wrong impression. Doing the right thing when no one else is looking is a great theory to live by, but doing the right this when people are looking is a good idea too.

If someone is a ‘ring leader’ in the class and they are setting a bad example, the class will follow that bad example. The teacher will most likely respond by using more discipline. If that same person were showing respect for others and the teacher, then the teacher will most likely feel more free to have fun in the class.

One of the most important parts of character is respect. Someone will have to take that first step, and show others that being disrespectful is wrong. In the long run, people will look up to that person who shows respect as a role model, and people will have more fun in life. So here’s the question; what does respect mean to you?