...The only thing to do for the next few months until the inauguration is to remain calm.
Our democracy has survived many challenges over the past 200 plus years and it will survive the current times. Following are a few reasons for remaining calm that we should all think about:
- The younger generations have awakened to their civic responsibility. Whatever the reasons this has happened, they will take over and fix the mistakes that the older folks made. This is our history and it is called the pendulum effect. Whenever we go too far to the right or left, the pendulum swings back to the center.
- We will most likely have a more conservative Supreme Court. Just remember that the Court interprets laws and does not enact laws. It takes years for litigation to make it to the Supreme Court. In most cases, laws are not tossed. Just chipped away at or affirmed regarding finer points. There will be grand arguments to be won and lost. There will be an emotional rough ride but unjust laws are eventually overturned. The key example is Plessy v. Ferguson that said separate but equal schools were legal. Brown v. Board of Education reversed that earlier decision.
- The dreaded liberals and socialists, if they win the contest, will not increase your taxes if you make less than $400,000 per year. They will not take your guns away. Certainly, some fair program that provides medical insurance to everyone, without taking away choice for those that can afford it will be enacted.
- To those that fear four more years, most likely the majority of the House and Senate will be held by the opposing party. That is why the Founders brilliantly adopted a system with the Executive, Legislative and Executive branches keeping each other in check.
- We will deal with climate change, a gradual transition away from fossil fuels and other existential (life threatening) threats. This will happen whether by gradual planned transition or crisis created need. Technology marches on whether we like it or not. If you don't get that, think about Kodak's rejection of the electronic camera because it would take away from their wet film sales.
- The dominance of and failed promise of the social media to educate rather than incite will come under control. We should always reject P.T. Barnum's quote "Nobody ever lost a dollar by underestimating the taste of the American public." The American public has pretty good taste most of the time and the majority does not fall for lunatic conspiracy theories.
The next few months will be stressful. We should remain calm no matter what happens unless the behaviors of our leaders are so egregious that our right to protest peacefully must be exercised. Nearly four years ago, this column was about something called the loyal opposition. We don't have to agree with those in power. We do have to remain loyal to our democracy. Remember that the Constitution does not begin with I the President, it begins with WE the people.
