Editor's note: The following is a dissent to the Aug. 10 Grand Rapids Press editorial Amash missed chance to take high road.

By U.S. Rep. Justin Amash

Why did West Michigan have to endure "the ugliest House primary" in the country?



That's how a national magazine described the attacks aimed at me over the last 10 months.



They included a thinly veiled slur that one of the handful of Arab Americans in Congress is "al Qaeda's best friend."



"Who'd they say is Daddy's best friend?" my six-year-old daughter asked my wife.



Our living rooms were assaulted with the image of baby girls, swaddled in pink, vanishing from their cribs. The TV ad wasn't subtle or delicate: Amash condones killing girls for sex selection was the message.



Candidates for office are entitled to run tough campaigns against me or anyone else. But we all can agree that there are lines that should not be crossed, even in politics. I propose that an ethnically tinged charge of supporting terrorists is one of those lines, and accusing a pro-life father of allowing the murder of baby girls is another.

Related: 'Not good for America': Rep. Justin Amash's scathing victory speech goes national



I don't know why my opponent resorted to such tactics. I can only speculate why a former West Michigan congressman endorsed and repeated those attacks. I do know that if we want healthier, more civil politics that reflect the values of our community, such over-the-line smears must end.



How do we ensure that candidates understand that there is no place for such venom?



We start by standing up to the bullying. We acknowledge that the tactics crossed the line and won't be tolerated in our community. And we do so publicly, with the honesty and candor that so often is missing from our disingenuous political discourse.



That's why on election night I called my opponent's smears "disgusting" and "despicable." They were, and shrugging off those types of attacks—reciting platitudes about moving on—simply encourages more of the same.



In my campaigns, I've never promised voters that I'd be a typical politician. I'd like to think that our community has elected me each time because I challenge the political class with my dedication to liberty, accountability, and the concerns of everyday Americans.



I spoke plainly on election night to bring attention to this issue. West Michigan deserves a campaign that is tough but civil. Our community would embrace a constructive debate about big ideas, for a change. But we cannot have a public debate worthy of West Michigan until leaders muster the courage to call out the misconduct that holds us back.

U.S. Rep. Justin Amash is a two-term Republican congressman from Cascade Township, who represents the 3rd Congressional District.

Related: Editorial: MLive Grand Rapids Press endorses Rep. Justin Amash in GOP primary