By Suzanne Waring
I have voted in every presidential election since the contest between Goldwater and Johnson. As I look back over the years, I have voted for winners as well as for losers.
The 2024 election is just days away. Whether or not my candidate wins this coming November, it continues to be important to me that the winner be recognized by all. I have never doubted the election process performed by honest people to be anything but as accurate as possible.
Not only have I been comfortable with the elections held in my state, but I have also taken pride in the peaceful transfer of power at all levels, especially the presidency. For example, Gerald Ford lost after one term to Jimmy Carter, and the same thing happened to George H. W. Bush who lost to Bill Clinton. Even though these men who were holding the office of President at the time and they were, no doubt, deeply disappointed at their loss, they peacefully transferred the presidency to the election winner. When Al Gore lost to George W. Bush through a decision by the Supreme Court, the designated person took office. Hillary Clinton had a majority of the vote when she ran against Donald Trump but lost as the result of the Electoral College. Even though many say the Electoral College is out of date and should be lawfully changed, Hillary Clinton conceded to the winner of the election as determined by the Constitution.
The men who framed the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Bill of Rights were talking about an experimental form of government using the ideas set forth by the pen of forward-thinking writers of the day. One of those writers, John Locke, wrote “For in all the states of created beings capable of law, where there is no law, there is no freedom.”
The act of making laws to give people freedom was a precarious business. John Adams, who later became the second President of the United States, wrote in his diary, “Feel myself unequal to the business [of the] grand scene open before me—a Congress.” A full-blown republic governed by the people on the scale that was being considered had never been tried in the experience of mankind. It was so different from the cruel and absolute power of monarchies around the world. With this experiment, framers gave man freedoms by placing the power of the government into their hands by allowing them to vote for laws they wanted to live by. They would also decide which individuals would make governmental decisions. Can you imagine what a concept that was to imagine before it was even tried. It meant that the common man, whatever role he fulfilled in a community would have a singular vote, and that vote would be as important as the vote of the man who was wealthy and had influence.
Even though putting power of the government in the hands of the people was almost unimaginable, it worked—even with its warts. It worked because the people wanted it to work. Do we want our democracy to continue to work?
The people elected George Washington as their first president. He took on the arduous job of being spokesperson for this new country. It is said that his most important act was to leave the office of President after two terms. This peaceful transfer of power has become a tradition—and later the 25th Amendment to the Constitution—that is a cornerstone of our democracy.
In his farewell address, Washington warned that “our new union and new form of government would be under constant attack and that the forces both external and internal would seek to lead us astray.”
We must not be led astray. Notice that the two campaigns of today are not focusing on January 6, 2021, when the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. was attacked by a mob of supporters of the then-U.S. president. Their purpose was to prevent the certifying of the election of Joe Biden who had rightfully won the presidency for the next term. It is important that we, the people of this country, remember January 6 because six people died unnecessarily and the mob made up of Americans temporarily halted the governmental election process for the first time in this country’s history. We came close—very close—to not having a peaceful transfer of power.
Using our right to vote, accepting the outcome of elections, and demanding the peaceful transfer of power are all tenants of democracy being threatened. Forces—both internal and external—are leading us astray as George Washington said could happen. It is said that we will continue to have governmental violence over who’s in power until the people say this is enough. Haven’t we had enough?
Many experts of trends say that our form of government is winding down. With everyone’s involvement, we must not allow that to happen. We must not be apathetic; we must not be discouraged; we must not think only of ourselves. We must think and act on behalf of the freedom of our neighbors and our future generations by keeping the laws of our democracy sacred and by voting for officials who will do the same.
In preparation for this election, I need to get it right. I must be contemplative by analyzing candidates’ state of mind, calling up their past words and actions, and analyzing their connections, all which show their true mettle. Since I have never met most candidates, I will have to rely on the media. Knowing the biases of the different news media is the foundation of the information I will be scrutinizing.
Individual freedom is fragile. With this election, do your part in making yours a knowledgeable vote. Make certain that your neighbor retains his or her various freedoms, for that is the only way you will retain yours. MSN
See bias chart online at: www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-chart