This article has been published on South China Morning Post SCMP as “after the Hong Kong elections, a time to show respect and vision”. SCMP is a Hong Kong English-language newspaper founded in 1903, with a daily circulation of around 100,000. SCMP has made some minor publishing edits to refine some sentences for grammatical correctness and add some related pictures/links.
Here is the original version.
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The beauty of growing old is living to witness the change of times. 
When did HongKongers change to fight for freedom and democracy? In the 70s, the fight was to “make a living” (Chinese: 為兩餐乜都肯制前世) and “fight for money” (Chinese: 一生一世為錢幣做奴隸). In the 80s, the fight is to retain capitalism, ensure that “horses will still run, dances will still dance” (Chinese: 馬照跑 舞照跳). These fights have now drifted to fight for freedom and democracy, with the hard-core activists asserting that “Hong Kong government is the source of all problems” and “every Hong Kong governor should have stepped down”. HongKongers have transitioned from a city of positive energy to heaps of resentment and rumbles of rages.
To the city leadership and its people, it is time to fight for respect: respect each other, respect our opportunities, and respect China.
HongKongers have to respect each other with different opinions. Let’s think hard on the “landslide” political victory in the recent election. Among the 7.5M of population, 4.1M (58%) are registered voters of which 2.9M voters (71%) have voted on November 24. Among the actual voters, 1.7M (57%) have voted in favour of the party which fights for more democracy and freedom. Let’s respect the choices of the winning voters, let’s also respect the remaining 5.8M who may or may not care about politics, let’s also respect the government.
Hong Kong is the most free city in China and probably in the world. The city could showcase more freedom is a path “to prosperity without compromising the sovereignty”. The HongKongers are at risk of missing out this bigger opportunity with the unrest and challenge to the sovereignty. Hong Kong also has the opportunity to create a prosperous society for every citizen. Building a moderately prosperous society (Chinese: 小康) remains a top priority for the Chinese leadership and its 1.4 billions of people. What bigger opportunity than having the HongKongers (0.5% of Chinese population) to add to the well being of 1.4B? HongKongers have to respect the opportunity.
HongKongers are predominantly Chinese with our hair, our eyes, our skin. We enjoy Chinese cuisine. The Chinese traditions are thousands of years deep. Every country has flaws, HongKongers must respect China to have established (again) as a world power, to evolve together than to destroy.
HongKongers must fight for these respects for our own good, for the greater good before fighting for other things.
oliviatamccue 
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