elections – An Old Man's Thoughts, Memories, & Opinions

Perhaps I shouldn’t write this. After all, it criticizes the media, celebrities, and a minority of American voters in the last presidential election. Not only that, I am also immoral, ignorant, stupid, garbage, uneducated, sexist, racist, and a misogynistic (I had to look that one up to make sure it was true). I am elite, a part of the “ruling class”, misinformed, psycho, and don’t care about democracy. I am a hatemonger and not smart enough to know how to react when a bear is trying to eat me (how I ended up somewhere that a bear would try to eat me is unknown).

Each of these things have been said about me, and a majority of voters, in the last few weeks and been covered repeatedly in the media. Even today, over a week since the election they are still being given front page coverage often being treated as news rather than opinion.

Perhaps the best solution is to do as the title of this post says, “Go Sit in the Corner and Shut Up!” I know this is true for my office where the only acceptable viewpoint is an ultra-liberal, progressive one. Conservatism in any form is not only discouraged but even scorned. If we accept what the liberal press, celebrities, and others tell us then we are accepted but if we dare disagree, we are shut out. So, the best answer is to simply not say anything.

I refuse to be shouted down by those who I do not respect – the media which has had an extended liberal bias, celebrities who, while entitled to their views, are no more qualified than me to make an informed decision, and others who consider views other than their own irrelevant. I hope I don’t lose friends because of this post but if I do, I must ask, “Were they really friends?” I will continue to talk to family members who have opposing views although some may not talk to me.

I will not, however, go sit in a corner and shut up. That may work with small children but it is not a solution for adults.

Today is Election Day 2024. Today we have the opportunity to do something that only happens once every four years – cast our vote for President of the United States. This election has been described in many different ways by the media, the candidates, and others more than willing to share their “expertise”. Until the last few years, votes would be counted within a few days and then we would know the winners and the losers. Unfortunately, recent elections have shown this not to be the case.

In my memory, the desire to challenge election results first arose, at least on the national level, during the Gore campaign’s challenge to results based on “hanging chads” or possible errors due to the method used to record and count votes on computer cards. The next big challenge was during the last election where the Trump campaign challenged the validity of results based on how election officials counted votes and the procedures that were applied inconsistently or correctly.

Interestingly, in neither case were the challenges upheld but in one case the challenges were applauded while in the other state and local officials used the challenges as a reason to bring legal charges against the candidate. One can only hope that neither the challenges nor the court cases are needed this year.

It also seems that this year citizenship is no longer important in our elections. Instead, it seems that we have an effort to allow voting by anyone in the country – whether they are citizens or not, whether they have entered our country legally or not, whether they actually reside here or somewhere else.

Our country was founded on the right of citizens to elect our government officials. I’m not sure that is still the case. Instead, officials are selected by a few “select” individuals who are not bound to support the desires of the average citizen. This was made clear this year when one of the two presidential candidates did not face a single general election prior to be named as the party’s candidate by these “select” individuals.

All of this is only to say all citizens should get out and vote today. Vote not on what some celebrity or media expert has recommended but instead on their personal beliefs and knowledge consider important. And, hope that our country can move forward as it has since the first elections and provide our children a safe and happy place to live.