Originally a comment by Bruce Gorton on All your words are wrong.

I think one of the big problems we have as a global society, is this idea of “basic respect” minus the idea of “basic respectability”.

You see it with the Republicans in America. They’re not respectable people.

Now don’t get me wrong, there is nothing inherently disrespectable about being poor, about going through rough times or anything like that. What is disrespectable is – relying on federal aid and then voting to take it away from other people.

This is why the leopards have been feasting, the Republicans who are now crying about how their funding has been cut – knew it was going to happen, they just didn’t expect it to happen to them. That’s not respectable.

Similarly, the whole trans debate – it is a demand to respect something that just isn’t respectable. Strip it down to its core, and we just don’t believe what the trans are saying is true.

Demanding people say things that they don’t believe are true for your personal comfort is not respectable. Threatening to commit suicide if they don’t, is not respectable. Trying to silence any and all debate against what you say is not respectable. Throwing temper tantrums like a toddler when people don’t comply is not respectable.

So why should we respect it?