[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Yeah, I got a lot of grief from Freepers over the years because I refuse to call a skunk cabbage a rose just because they were elected to an office, served in the military or they are old.

In a perfect world their hearts would be changed and I could call them friend. It is not a perfect world.

And I will continue to call out the people who are trying to destroy me and mine.

[rlmorel]

In my post above, I give people default respect.

That includes everyone, regardless of race, color, creed or nationality. I try to treat people as individuals with respect, until I have cause not to, and I DO give default respect to office holders, military personnel, and old people like myself.f

Until they give me reason not to.

That is why that particular quote really got me. I WILL not respect someone who has actively demonstrated they are not worthy of respect. I think to respect someone in spite of what they say or do not only results in a watering down of what respect is and means, but is hypocritical and ultimately corrosive and self-destructive.

I can’t...no...I WON’T do it.