The Election Process That Americans Deserve

As I write tonight, the results of our election have yet to be officially determined. I suspect that, unfortunately, we will not know who our next Commander in Chief will be until the issue is resolved through litigation rather than the people’s will. Given some time to reflect upon the process leading up to the election, I believe my views, as expressed below, reflect those of many in the valley.

Individuals should be free to express their political views without fear of reprisal or intimidation from our neighbors. The key to civility is to separate the idea from the individual, seek common ground and move forward. In response to my most recent Reader Commentary, I was personally attacked as a “liar” by a local party leader for expressing views that did not align with that individual’s. We are a better people than that.  Our willingness to get along with each other should never be held back by religion, skin color or, especially, political beliefs and opinions that have a comparatively short shelf-life.

Regardless of who wins the election, we need to step back from the brink and move forward as a nation. I hold to an ideology that is different from Vice-President Biden’s. But if he is duly elected, I will accept that fact, move on, and support the President of the United States, as I did for so many years while in uniform.  I will not conduct myself like those who resisted President Trump from Election Night 2016 throughout the duration of his first term. On a national scale, the hyper-partisan impeachment folly only distracted us from the real threat to our existence as a nation – China, not “Russian collusion.”

Americans want a fair, verifiable and speedy election process. We deserve for all lawfully valid votes to be tabulated, in strict accordance with state and local election laws. It is sad but true, that in the most technologically advanced nation in the world, where one order a pizza online and have it delivered to your doorstep within an hour, we appear unable (or unwilling) to modernize our voting process to allow an accurate and timely tally of the results in near real-time. Our voting system is archaic (Mail-in ballots? What’s next, voting by voice-mail?) Other Western countries do much, much better. Unfortunately, I suspect our elections system gets severely gamed by any who feel they can gain an edge.

Once again, 0ur Founding Fathers (and Mothers) got it right with their brilliant system of checks and balances in government.  There will be no political coups in the USA. After the results of this election are finally tallied and the winners are certified by Congress, let’s please agree to rise above the petty bickering of these last four years, and get back to facing the real challenges our nation faces.