When I was growing up in the Central Region of Ghana, we were taught to respect our parents, the elderly, and leaders. Irrespective of whether the person was your family relative or not, as a child, you were supposed to show respect and courtesy towards them.
Respect for elders came in the form of how to speak with them, help them and greet them when you meet them. Indeed, any adult could correct you when you go wrong even if he doesn’t know you. It was a shared belief that children are born into a family, but are raised by the community. Thus, many of us grew up showing regard for the elderly.
Today, I see a sharp departure from these time-tested values imbibed in us. People don’t mind where they stand to speak against the elderly. Adults are insulting each other in the public square and worst of all is young people insulting the elderly and leaders. Additionally, there are people who hide behind social media and cowardly insult other people.
Cases of Insults against Leaders
Below are cases reported in the media of insults on elders and leaders.
- In 2020, an SHS student openly insulted President Nana Addo claiming that the President deceived them concerning the WASSCE.
- In 2020, a Pastor threatened the EC boss and insulted the President.
- In 2020, Bishop Charles Agyin Asare was insulted for speaking his mind on national issues.
- In 2010, a man insulted the late President John Evans Atta Mills and called him a chimpanzee.
- In 2016, Pastor Mensa Otabil was severely insulted in the media by political commentators and others.
In a Facebook post in 2016, Dr Paa Kwasi Nduom questioned why our politics has descended into insults. He wrote: “Should our politics be about development, or should it be about personal attacks and insults? Can someone, anyone have an opinion about the state of the nation, good or bad?
In a recent speech, the Director of TV at Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, veteran journalist Mr Ebenezer Ampaabeng said, journalists, can be bold without being insulting.
What can we do to nip this in the bud?
1. Discourse Without Insult
It seems to me that if you don’t check this trend, we will live to regret it as a nation and people. I always wonder why people cannot have a decent discourse without insulting other people.
I believe the one way out of this is to encourage public discourse, debates, or discussions without insults. In every civil society, there can be divergent opinions, but people still respect the views of other people and never descend into the gutters of insults and attacking them personally. The late South African leader Nelson Mandela said that we must improve our argument instead of shouting.
2. Reason Through Issues
Another thing is that it seems we have not trained people who can think through issues without being emotionally driven. In Ghana, people who speak against the party in power are seen as ‘enemies of the state’ instead of a friend with a different opinion. People are so much attached to their parties to the point that ‘you dare not speak against it.’ Every view of theirs is coloured by their party colours.
3. Season Your Speech Grace
The Bible says that we must season our speech with salt to impart grace unto others. (Colossians 4:6) It is very important that we speak unto others just as we want to be spoken to. People want to be treated with respect, but they have no respect for others.
If we want to have civil and constructive discourse in the media, we must train people who will discuss ideas instead of beating them to the gallery. Sharing ideas makes us better.
4. The Young Shall Be Old Too
My final point is that the young shall not remain young forever. Rather, they shall grow with time and become national leaders in all spheres of life. How will these people who hide behind social media to insult the elders want to be treated?
The young can learn from the old, take what is good and eliminate what is negative. The Bible encourages us not to rebuke an elder in public. (1 Timothy 5:1) We must be wise in how we treat elders and leaders so that we will be treated in the same manner.
A final point I want to make on this is that we must teach moral conduct, practice moral conduct, and then punish immoral conduct. Civility requires good conduct and respect for elders and leaders.
