Nov 17, 2016 2 min read

My boys, even as children, showed an interest in politics. I remember taking them to listen to John Kerry when he was in Canonsburg and witnessing the awful jeers and disrespectful comments from opponents. I taught my boys then that respect must be shown to our leaders, particularly the president, even if we disagree with his or her policies.

But after the election of a man who, throughout his campaign, engaged in slander and ridicule, displayed total disrespect for women, belittled the disabled, put down our military, put down non-Christians and spewed racist comments, I am finding it very difficult to muster up the slightest respect for Donald Trump.

To now tell my boys they must respect a man whose actions and words are against everything they were taught would be morally unconscionable and hypocritical.

And then it came to me: If we can’t in good conscience respect the man who is Donald Trump, then we must respect ourselves by continuing to display moral and ethical behavior.

So while discussing the protests in response to this election, I told my boys to remember the words of Michele Obama: “When they go low, we go high”.

Lisa D’Amico Speer

Canonsburg