Of course labeling others in high school is to be expected, but as I near the end of my senior year, I thought this trend would be coming to a close. And yet, just a few days prior to writing this I heard several classmates refer to another as “dirty,” saying “he’s pretty cute for a dirty kid.”

Really!?

Were we not taught in kindergarten that if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all? I understand that during our teen years these typical manners may disappear for a while, but I thought they would have reemerged by now. The majority of us are fast approaching adulthood, if not there already, and it’s time we learn a few manners before our descent into the real world.

Do you think that people outside of our small town will take kindly to your snide, insensitive, thoughtless comments? The answer is no.

If you go out into the world believing that you can say whatever you want about anyone, no matter how rude, false, or judgmental, the world will tear you to pieces.

If you honestly expect to contribute to this world, you need to learn some facts, and fast. You need to come to terms with the fact that you are bound to meet people from all different walks of life, and that we are part of a remarkable country that embraces differences. Automatically jumping to conclusions about others before attaining an adequate representation of them is unfair and un-American. Next time, take the time to get to know others and keep you judgments to yourself.