I have noticed that with the economic and financial crisis that is affecting everyone that people are becoming more and more ugly with respect to how they treat their fellow man.

Story after story after story in the papers and on the Internet show how men and women alike have turned on each other and no longer show respect, compassion or humanity for others.

It's as if we have returned to the days of the old west- a lawless society with no rules of civility.

People steal more from others, cheat others, ridicule and persecute others, and generally lack civility and compassion for their fellow man or woman.

What happened to etiquette? Respect? Caring? Compassion?

People today it seems are more concerned and focused on themselves than on others.

Yes, everyone is suffering to some degree- and some more than others. However, that doesn't mean we should become evil, nasty people who don't give a rat's ass about anyone else.

Are we back in the Selfish era of "Me, Me, Me?

Sadly, from everything I have read and personally experienced this is how it appears.

If we as a society want to survive (a Russian Economist has predicted via his work and research that the given the state of crisis and chaos in the US, the US will completely disappear as we know it by 2010) we better all stop, examine our hearts and consciousnesses, and start to band together in Unity and become a more compassionate, caring people and nation towards all of our citizens- no matter what their race, color, nationality, sexual orientation, economic situation or financial status is.

Then, and only then can we be proud to call ourselves Americans.