Show a Little Respect
It all started when I first subscribed to the New York Times. I took a couple classes in college that required a subscription. I noticed that The Times does something differently than other newspapers I had read. They never refer to someone by just a last name. They always use Mr., Ms., or another appropriate title. It is such a small thing. Even on the sports pages, titles were used. It was the nineties, so I read a lot of stories about Mr. Jordan and Mr. Malone and Mr. Rodman and their colleagues. I believe that even criminals were given this little bit of respect.
It is a small thing, but it makes a difference. I found that using a title instead of just a surname humanizes the person in the story. It is so classy. I know that many people would argue that some people who make it into the newspaper don't deserve that element of respect. I disagree. Like I said, it's humanizing.
Using titles is an expectation I have for my children. We don't do a very good job with the titles of "aunt" and "uncle." It's probably because I always called my aunts and uncles by only their first names. It's easier with Chris' side of the family because "auntie" and "uncle" are commonly used. Anyway, if my children refer to people in the news, I ask them to use a title. President Obama. Senator Reid. Governor Romney. President Bush. We, of course, have this expectation for leaders in our church as well, whether we've met them or not. President Monson. Elder Ballard. Bishop Anderson. Sister Rust.
When we talk about people we don't know, we can be overly critical of their public persona. I have found and I sincerely believe that by using a simple title like Mr. or Ms., there is less inclination to cruelly criticize the character of strangers. I am happy to criticize their public policies regardless of title.
Using titles makes conversation a little classier.
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