Editor:

As I evaluate this past election, I see both sides viewing the other as radical.

Are the Democrats eating children in the White House or is that conspiracy theory? Are the Republicans turning their back on democracy? Is it a big lie or a steal?

So many people cling for dear life to their own position for fear of being wrong, or don’t look at all, and just vote based on tradition or loyalty. Personally, my loyalty goes to facts and truth. Consider what they do not say. Once there, it’s less difficult to cast a vote.

As a nation, one thing is clear: the people have spoken and stated that crazy is not governing. Death threats against members of congress are up by hundreds of percent, law enforcement killed and injured protecting the capitol, election workers harassed and intimidated, and election deniers are trying to pass laws that allow them to change election outcomes while some in Congress still wish to coddle dictators who murder their rivals. That’s not governing. When a party has no platform, no governing philosophy, no moral compass, and has lunatics running for office, that’s not governing. This election was not about Democrats versus Republicans, but about crazy versus sanity, or better yet competent governance versus crazy.

Once upon a time, there was a Republican Party focused on time-honored beliefs in honesty, marriage, service, and church, but they’ve fallen into the abyss by embracing insurrection, racism, and idolatry. There really is no longer a conservative party.

Everyday Republicans are good people, many are my friends. The problem isn’t who they are but what they’ve permitted themselves to be deceived into voting for. The moral challenge then is that if you vote for someone who sends fake electors to Washington in an effort to overthrow the government of the United States, then aren’t you an accomplice for everything they are doing?

Instead, I’ll take what we’re getting now: tax cuts for working people, lower drug prices, investment into our economy and the climate crisis, equality, and fair taxation for all just to name a few, or choose cuts to Social Security and Medicare and more tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy from Republicans.

This election revealed clearly that the people want democracy and competent governance, not crazy. Again, crazy is not governing, policy is. Moving forward, what do we see? As soon as it was clear that the GOP won the House majority, did they begin governing by talking about crime, inflation, and immigration? No, it’s been nonstop, Hunter Biden.

Instead of this sideshow, what would happen if we ended the anger, lies, and deceit and faced the critical issues of our country and planet together?

George Wen,
Delavan