I’m sure everyone has heard  older people reminisce about the “good ol’ days.” They are speaking of the days when you could watch a television show without hearing beeps every two seconds due to vulgarity, when you could leave your door unlocked without the threat of being burglarized and when everyone seemed to have respect for everyone else.
Those days, over very little time, have come to an end. Movies that were rated “R” back then might be considered “G” these days. This shows how standards for what is considered acceptable have diminished to the point of near nonexistence over the years.
These days, some people seem to have little to no respect for other people. Some behaviors that seem so common these days were unheard of just 20 years ago. Some people have no problem cussing, showing off their underwear or putting other people’s lives in danger. Where did the respect go?
I am a rare type of person these days. By this, I mean that I do not use vulgar language.
A recent event inspired me to write this article. Two girls at a football game were arguing very loudly. They were yelling expletives in public, paying no mind to the people who were watching and shaking their heads in disapproval.
This was very disrespectful to those with young children as well as to those who simply can’t stand bad language.
To take care of the problem, I stood close to the angry ladies and rang my cowbell as loud as I could. Watch what you say. You never know when the story of your drunken argument will find its way into The Reflector.
I don’t smoke. Therefore, I do not particularly enjoy breathing in smoke from others. When someone smokes around other people, he or she is harming them and causing them to smell bad. Be respectful. Don’t smoke while you are walking to class.
This leaves everybody behind you suffocating in a cloudy trail of smoke. There are cigarette depositories scattered all around campus.
Most of these depositories have benches strategically placed next to them. Take this as a hint and smoke there.
Just because smokers are willing to take the chance of getting cancer and dying early, it doesn’t mean that nonsmokers are.
A college football game is the place to be if you want to see a crowd of drunk people. It’s similar to the smoking: just because you have no problem with smelling like alcohol, it doesn’t mean that others are OK with it.
By this, I am referring to the people who throw their drinks in the air to shower people underneath them with whatever beverage their cups contain.
You may argue that there is no alcohol in these drinks, but let’s face it, only people consuming alcohol would see nothing wrong with doing this.
Drinks at football games are expensive. Most of the money you spend on a drink is because of the cup. Don’t waste your money. If you don’t want to keep the cup, throw it in a trash can instead of on the heads of other people.
I know I will probably get negative reviews for this article (just like the “boo’s” received by the freshman in the “Under 21, Stay Dry” video at football games), but I know I am not the only person who feels this way. If you can’t handle the effects of drinking alcohol in a mature way, then don’t drink.
Realize that some of your decisions can affect others. This is true with smoking, drinking and even simply using vulgar language. Seeing how quickly the “good ol’ days” came to a halt, I hate to find out what my children will face throughout their lifetimes.
We need to bring those days back.
We need to re-establish the respect people used to have for each other.
Jay Ballard is a freshman majoring in chemistry. He can be contacted at
[email protected].