[MsMarvelDuckie]

Originally Posted by Leo656

I'm sure all the single Moms who work fast food or in grocery stores for reasons like, they can't afford a car, or, it's literally right across the street and is the easiest way to get a job with benefits, are thrilled to be described as failures for life circumstances that may or may not be within their control. Chick gets married, has a kid, husband develops health problems, suddenly dies, leaves her the debt, she needs to work so her kid can eat, Shop-Rite has dental, her kid needs braces, and boom, she's a 40-year old "failure" working in a supermarket because life didn't favor her.

At least my blanket statements contain a modicum of truth. Yikes.

As for people's parents, that's entirely personal and you can't just assume you know what's best for them. I had a horrible relationship with my father, and we managed to reconcile, but if he had ever, like, put me in the hospital, for example, that wouldn't be easy to ever shake or forgive. And like others have said, some people horrifically abuse or even molest and rape their kids. Most parents are parents by accident, and some of them actively hate and resent their children. They don't deserve respect and sympathy just because "they are parents" and will one day stop breathing. It's a job like any other, the respect you earn should be solely dependent on the performance of the parent.

Granted, some kids are just whiny brats who don't appreciate what they have, but that's an entirely different situation. Some parents are reprehensible, the same as any other people.

I think you just hit the heart of the matter. Respect is something that is earned, and to get it, one also has to GIVE it. It's true of parents just as it is of anyone else. If someone treats you with no respect as a human being and then demands you give it to THEM, they don't deserve it in the first place. And trust is another important aspect of being a parent, too. A parent is SUPPOSED to be someone the child can GO TO when they have a problem, and to trust with their health, safety, and emotional well-being. It's despicable and unforgivable when a parent betrays that trust. Even more so when the person went into a relationship KNOWING that parenthood would be part of the deal. To betray a child is just about the WORST thing a person can do, and deserves a place in Hades right next to people like Hitler and Jeffery Daumer(sp?).