The Loss of Propriety, Privacy & Peace! Who Cares?

Today's mantra seems to be "everyone is entitled to do whatever they want, when they want, and wherever they want" and no one is entitled to question this new, unspoken, societal understanding, no matter how much it might interfere with one's own rights. We have all become enablers of unacceptable public behavior by condoning it through our silence. The technological age has only exacerbated this new atmosphere of "anything goes" and no one has a right any longer to judge anyone else's behavior. Most people seem to fear speaking up or confronting another about intrusive behavior which invades and thwarts my ability to puruse peace and happiness. I am beginning to wonder, has Freedom of Speech, the Right to Own a Gun, expanded into a list of civil rights which are destroying all civility towards our fellow men on this earth? Here are some of my most recent cases of this point: Today after seeing my OB-Gyn for my annual check-up I had to go to a lab outside of the medical building to have my blood drawn and tested. I entered the waiting area, walked up to the receptionist's desk to sign in, though there was no one covering the reception desk, and sat down to wait my turn. There was a large, tattoed man wearing a muscle shirt with his young wife and two year old son across the waiting room. Also seated was a 40 year old non-descript white man and a fifty year old black woman. And, there was a younger woman who was about 30. As I waited, the large man started talking loudly about how "Big Mama lets Bubba get away without doing a Fu.........n thing, why can't he make himself a Fu.........n sandwich, God damn son of a bitch, he ain't ot no Fu.........n right to expect someone else to fix his Shit! The conversation continued to the point of 25 F words, and three slaps to his two year olds' face, telling him to Fu.......n shutup! By the way, don't confuse "Big Mama" with a Tyler Perry reference -- this was a very white couple. No one in the room said a word, although this man made a point of making sure he was talking loudly in order to be heard, as if no one else was in the room. As there was no receptionist nor employee to deal with the siuation, I had finally had enough. I spoke up and said to the man from across the room, "Sir, we are in a public space and I would truly appreciate your refraining from screaming out F....., S....t, and other such offensive words while we are waiting here together." His response was indignant! "Why don't you shut the F.... up, what I do is none of your business and I'll cuss as much as I want wherever I want and cuss at my kid and there's nothing you can do about it." If I were smart, I suppose I would have not said another word, since in the State of Texas everyone has a right to carry a gun wherever they are and I could have gotten shot, but I was so upset about his hitting his child in the face that I responded, "Sir, in fact, I could call the police right now in regard to your not only "disturbing the peace" in a public place, but I could also make a citizen's arrest in regard to the display of overt child abuse going on here and CPS could take your child away." He then said, "You just think you are better than I am and are getting into my business, I didn't get into your business and might just get up and come over there and hit you." I briefly concluded by saying, "If this had not been so offensive to me and to others in this room, I would not have had to mention it." His wife then asked the black lady in the room, "Did his saying "F...k" upset you, lady?" She answered reticently, "Well, I was shocked, but you go ahead and do what you want." I also just took a ten hour flight to Europe where there was a family, wife, husband, and two children, aged 8 and 6 -- not babies, not toddlers, who were sitting in the middle section of the plane where there were four seats. I was sitting on one of the side aisles with two seats. There was a lovely woman seated in front of the family and a seasoned businessman seated directly across from them. As soon as the flight began, the mother began reading stories aloud to her children from a book, just like she was reading to a large classroom of students. The entire plane could hear her, regardless of using ear plugs along with Ipods covered with Bose earphones. There was no way to block out the continued, loud reading. Meanwhile, both boys began kicking the seats in front of them and never stopped. They then moved to playing Justin Bieber songs on their portable CD players, however with speakers, not with their own earphones. No one said a word to the family, though all lights had been turned off after dinner in order that everyone could get some sleep. The mother thought her children were just being adorable with all of these loud, family activities. They never even considered how this might be affecting the other passengers on the airplane who had paid huge amounts for their ocean crossing flights. However, as we debarked from the plane, everyone began talking about how rude this family had been, how obnoxious the children had been, how the lady sitting in front had asked them to stop kicking and the mother was insulted by the request, how no one was able to sleep and it was totally disturbing and had destroyed the flight for everyone. Yet no one spoke up or confronted the family about the noise? My question is, why not? I was sitting in Starbucks the other day after exercise, trying to read the newspaper while sipping my coffee, while the man next to me is talking out loud on a blue tooth cell phone system, while operating a computer and having a second phone on his table. He is talking about his love life - the most personal details about his sex life, his girlfriend's rejection of him, his erection problems, and I felt like I was eavesdropping on something I should not be hearing. Unfortunately, there was no other seat in the Starbuck's house. I finally decided to say something in the nicest manner I could, choosing to presume that hehad no idea how loudly he was speaking. I said, "Sir, I am sorry, but I am sure you don't want me or anyone else in Starbucks knowing all the details you have just been talking about, so I wanted to let you know that unbeknownst to you everyone can hear the subject matter of your conversation." Well I must say, this guy was so happy that I had informed him, was embarassed, and sincerely thanked me for letting him know. I am sure there are not many people like him, but I am glad that at least he didn't take it as a personal afront that I had mentioned the situation to him. I am just getting very tired of having my personal space invaded by others' most intimate information while it is being shared in public places on their cell phones, blue tooths, or in loud conversations so that everyone in the room is made priivy to the details of their lives. What happened to propriety, privacy, and respect for others? Why do people today live as if they are the only person who matters in the world? That is the real question. Who taught them this and why do so many people accept such unacceptable behavior as "acceptable."