>>826
You don't think children can be worthy of respect? Let me tell you a little story. I was flying back in from out west, and at the end of the plane ride, this little girl in front of me was given a pair of fake plastic pilot's wings by one of the attendants. You know, with the airline's logo and a little pin on the back, a souvenir. Well, her brother sitting across the aisle saw it later and began complaining that he had not gotten one. Right away, the girl proposes a solution: she offers to share it with him.
Well, you might say that this was because she had been taught from an early age to not be selfish, but hell, isn't any respect-worthy act or trait just a product of social conditioning and circumstance?
Children aren't always the little dim-witted naive halflings many make them out to be. They haven't been around the block, of course, but they can be remarkably sharp with the things they have learned. They can also be quite perceptive. Not all are like this, but you acknowledged that most adults don't meet your grade. It's best not to paint with broad brushes in either case, and I know you recognize this.
Also, many single parents with one kid would disagree with your second sentence.