Where is the respect?

I have always said that if I had the chance to live in another country I would jump at the chance. All of the interactions that I have had with different countries, cultures, and people have left me looking at Americans with a perspective for of lack. It just seems that Americans are so darn arrogant and have absolutely no respect for anything, no idea how spoiled they are, and just plain don't care about anything outside of their immediate bubble. Sure we have a great country....for the moment; it's going down the drain very quickly. We have great resources available to us. There was a quote in the book that I'm reading right now (The White Tiger) that went like this: "Free people don't know the value of freedom, that's the problem." And because we don't know the value, we don't cherish it. We take everything for granted. America is completely lazy and selfish at the moment. We haven't always been that way. I look at my students, the future leaders of America and it makes me want to cry. We are in TROUBLE!

Well, back to the whole respect issue.... I went to a funeral yesterday. I was sitting there thinking upon my friend who had died and saying prayers for his family....which were completely drowned out by loud conversation, laughing, phones ringing, babies screaming and crying. I wanted to get up and scream "REALLY?!?" Where is the reverence, where is the respect for the family, or better yet....to our loved one who has died. Come on people, have a little respect. It's the one thing that everyone thinks they deserve but very little actually give it out. Completely appalled once again.