Importance of respect, responsibility, integrity and honesty

By Jessica Shourd, Stevensville

All community members need to practice respect, responsibility, integrity, and honesty.

The importance of community is taught to third grade students as part of their Social Studies curriculum. 

More importantly, universal rules of behavior are taught from the very first day of kindergarten. These rules are taught repeatedly and practiced by all students K-12. They are expected to act respectfully, responsibly, and safely at all times. Children of all ages are expected to behave this way and we adults teach them the proper way to behave, sometimes enforcing consequences for unacceptable behavior. 

How can we teach our children about the importance of community without consistently and frequently practicing these crucial universal rules? How can our small community of Stevensville move forward when some of its residents are clearly lacking respect and responsibility?

It is impossible for good work to get done for ourselves, our elderly, and our children when a small group of disgruntled citizens continually aim hate at the Mayor, town staff, part of Town Council, and forward-thinking citizens. We all deserve to be treated with respect and responsibility in this small town. 

We should always remember the Golden Rule, to treat others as you wish to be treated. To be respectful and kind, even when we don’t like somebody or what they stand for. I hope our children are taught and practice this type of honesty and integrity. Children in this town are being taught these values at home and at school. What is the quality of the values that we are showing in this community for our children to see?

If we teach and expect this behavior from our children, we (as leaders) best be sure that our actions emulate the behavior we expect from one another… especially in public settings within our community!

Meanwhile, our local citizens must learn to respect the work being done by those who have been voted into the position of authority, such as the Mayor. I wonder how any person could accomplish ANY good work when put in a position of constant attack – putting out fires all of the time. What happens to the betterment of our town when the leader is unable to get out from underneath all of the hate, the lies, the spiteful acts?

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat, and blood; who strives valiantly and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory or defeat.” –Theodore Roosevelt (paraphrased)