This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

I read the recent article in The Tribune that included the comments made by Don Peay about those of us who voted for Evan McMullin in the recent election and I felt a strong need to respond.

I can only speak for myself, but I chose to vote for McMullin so that I can look myself in the mirror. I had serious reservations about the platform and character of both major party candidates, to varying degrees, and I found that I could not bring myself to support either. After coming to that realization, I researched a number of other candidates and found that McMullin best aligned with my political views. I then did what Republicans do in California and Democrats do in Utah and cast my vote as a philosophical decision to voice my support for a candidate that I agree with, not as a strategic decision to make sure that I am backing the winner. Given the same set of circumstances, I would make the same choice again.

I do pray for President Donald Trump, but what I cannot do is defend him when his actions or words do not align with what I believe is best for this country. And because of the great country that I am blessed to live in, I have no legal or moral obligation to do so.

Patricia Bradford

Cedar City