Respect must be taught at home

There are many lessons to be learned from the tragic shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and the ensuing senseless riots and looting.

There are those, like Al Sharpton, who believe the police are always at fault and consequently need a retraining program in how to deal with aggressive troublemakers on the street. That viewpoint certainly has merit. However, I believe the majority of our street problems begin in the home.

Perhaps if Michael Brown’s father, who wanted to burn the town down, had used a different approach when his son was an adolescent, perhaps the entire tragedy may have never happened.

As parents and grandparents, we are responsible for setting an example and teaching the younger generation the principles of respect for others and mature behavior in public.

Every child should be taught that when a person, whether male or female, young or old, large or small, black, white or brown — that when a person wearing a badge of authority says “stop” that means only one thing, “stop.” That is especially true if the law enforcement officer is carrying a sidearm. Life is a boomerang with agonizing consequences, not only for you, but also for your loved ones.

George Hawkinson

Everett