Respect

Are you respectful, to society, your family and your parents? Respect is a fickle thing not easily measured or dispensed, requiring a lot to gain and little to lose. The writer Budge Wilson displays a total lack of empathy and respect for a son with her story “Be-ers and Doers,” while Neil Millar shows a more respectful attitude for his children with the works “The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask.” Millar’s story shows an understanding how work ethics in the earlier stages of youth effect a child's future, but Budge displays a almost totalitarian grip on her children in an attempt to force them on her path instead of guiding them.

Wilson's “Be-ers and Doers,” is a story about a family mostly of the conflict between the mother and the son Albert, told from the daughters point of view. The conflict stems from the mothers Fascist dictation that "Bein ain't good enough, You got to do to." In the story the mother believes there are only two types of people "Be-ers and doers." Be-ers are "rock-bottom lazy," instead of doers who are "forever on the move." The daughter notices how the mom is extremely hard on her son and complains that his marks "arnt good enough." Later on in the story Albert saves the house from a fire, and the mother exclaims that "is what I've been looking for all your life," and that she was "so terribly proud" of him. Albert's response is one of obvious built up dislike and hurt from him mothers attitude. Albert whispers back “Yer jest proud o’ what you want me t’be." "And I got some news for you." "Things I shoulda tole you years gone by. I ain’t gonna be what you want.” “I’m gonna be me.” It is obvious that Albert's mother's tyrannical iron curtain of control contributed very negatively on their relationship and very un-respectful.

Millar's "The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask…" expresses how good parenting and work ethics impact on a child or children. Millar's opinion is that a "parent [is a child's] guide and leader, not their nanny." Millar believes that with out proper work ethics will lead to "well-rounded, confident, considerate children," and poor or to much work might make "you might moan to your friends when you witness them disrespecting both other human beings and the environment." To support his position Millar tells how a "Maasai tribe leader appointed a seven year old girl as the person in charge of two-thirds of his village’s wealth." Millar also has a chart showing statistics that prove that kids with short hours of work had a drastic improvement to there schooling. Millar shows a very respectful position on his children in a push in the right direction so to speak.

The story "The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask…" by Neil Millar is vastly more respectful to children than the fascist story “Be-ers and Doers” by Budge Wilson. While Wilson exudes lack of foresight and compassion to Albert, Millar's story displays surprising insight and intelligent position on the up bringing of children. Wilson is uncompassionate and spends the duration of Albert’s upbringing attempting to force the lad into something he isnt much as a smith would smash a bar a steel into a sword. Millar decisively and delicately leads his children in a respectful way allowing them to choose their life but teaching them the merits of good work ethics.