Growing up, my five siblings and I would bristle each time our father pronounced that he did not care if we loved him, only that we respected him. Susan Fiorello writes that our current president deserves our respect based solely on his elected status.
One example only is needed to convey why respect will never be allowed the man who currently inhabits the White House. As someone who has dedicated her personal and professional life caring for those with significant challenges, the possibility of regard vanished the day Donald Trump publicly mocked a reporter who had a disability.
While many who voted for him may indeed love him, respect is a quality harder to justify.
Judith T. Heerlein
Georgetown
Note from KBJ: Rest assured, Judith, that those of us who love Donald Trump also respect him.
