COLLINS – When things go too far

I READ AN INTERESTING ARTICLE RECENTLY, in which a woman was upset when someone answered her question by saying “Yes Ma’am”.

She was very offended and suggested the person who made the comment was suggesting she was an “old lady.”

To her, it was more a slur than a mark of respect. I thought to myself “give your head a shake.” But doing a little further digging, it appears that many women feel the same.

Whether they’re not comfortable in their own bodies, I’m not sure, but it seems that being respectful is seen as a negative and not a positive.

I came across an article in the publication Psychology Today, which talks about common courtesies like respecting others by polite acts like holding the door open for others and replying to them in terms of respect.

Many cultures have practiced these simple acts of kindness for centuries. Maybe some have come down from the days when women were seen as the “weaker” sex, nevertheless, they are said with respect and should be received as such.

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Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops, former TNRD director and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.