Rock on...that was harsh and uncalled for IMHO.  Did you even read the passage?  It's amazing that a simple little passage can cause such harsh reactions from people.   Btw, it's on topic for this thread. 

Because parents stopped teaching their child about respect.

I don't think child / parent situation has changed - just how its dealt with.

I have two kids and you know, they need to push against me for independance. They also need to learn respect but their instinct is to rebel.

I guess 20 years ago I would simply have punished them when they go to far, but today I sit with them and use other approaches to resolve the issue.

Of course, sometimes you do have to punish and that's a shame but necessary.

If there is an issue I think its that there are so many outside sources (self help books, other family members, etc) and approaches that many parents are inconsistent in how they deal with their kids and this more than anything guarantees behaviour and manners issues. In the past the general consensus was more consistent on acceptable behaviour and manners.

I see so many parents ground their kids one day, smack them around the head the next and try and 'put them on the couch' the day after... and the poor kid just doesn't know where the boundaries are nor do they learn anything other than their parents are really inconsistent and don't know how to deal with them.

I think a bigger issue is the lack of general manners today - now that is something that really gets me annoyed!

Very true Reasonable, very true. The lack of manners nowadays is infurating and very frustrating. Talking to everyday people is such a chore for me at times. I have a very high code of chivalry and respect, and I just expect if from people :( It's so disappointing that times have changed so drastically.

I blame two things mainly but it's not that cut and dry...

1) Dr. Spock - Actually, not the good Dr. himself, he wrote a book that became an entire generations bible on child rearing. Unfortunately they took his teachings too far. We went from kids had no rights 'Be seen not heard' to all rights and no discipline prompting Dr.Spock to write another book saying so but that one was ignored.

2) Working parents. Nowadays both parents working is commonplace and that far too often leaves the kids at daycare or babysitters. Those places may be paid to look after the kids but can not be expected to RAISE the kids. That's the parents job and they are not around to do it. Worse, to compensate they often are too lenient and/or buy the kids whatever they want.

Other factors include too many single parents, men especially not fulfilling their roles as parents, society having a warped image of what's appropriate (compared to the rest of the world) as far as disciplining children, people waiting until late in life to have kids - resulting in common single kid families and single kids are usually pretty spoiled, todays media especially music (but isn't that always blamed every generation?) and extremely poor role models like Paris Hilton, a lot of rap singers, etc.

Oh, another thing. online blogs and forums and online game play. through those, for some reason, you experience a lot of disrespect and personal verbal attacks. And that translates to how kids and people interact with others in real life as well.

That is why I advocate civility and not attacking on a personal level. Feel free to join in the movement.

Poor old Paris... mind you she is a pretty terrible role model as you say.  And she's filthy rich through no effort of her own... let's pin something else on her too.