Respect: verb [ with obj. ]
admire (someone or something) deeply, as a result of their abilities, qualities, or achievements: she was respected by everyone she worked with | (as adj. respected) : a respected academic.
• have due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of: I respected his views.
Freedom in America means that we are to be respected for our traditions and views and that our rights are to be protected. How fortunate we are and how important this freedom is. Yet our human side allows our traditions, views, and rights to sometimes become compromised. The human side of us can sometimes feel so crippled that we begin to agree with all the negative comments, we begin to believe that who we are is not really all that important or what we are doing is not all that exemplary. We become enslaved into the expectations of the world, real or imagined. Don't let yourself fall into that abyss. If you listen to all those voices you will become increasingly confused. Follow your heart and do what you know is right, you know what it is; don't let others convince you otherwise and don't let others persuade you that what you do is not important enough to warrant their respect. What an awesome obligation, to educate the children of our future. No one should undermine that task.
