Safeguarding the election processes in America
To the Editor,
There has been a lot of talk about the Russian intervention in the recent election that brought Donald Trump to the Oval Office. Surely this is a matter of huge importance. Some have even suggested that it amounts to a declaration of war, a cyber war at least, and something that we must deal with, promptly and effectively.
If the Russians did indeed interfere to such a degree that it determined the outcome, did the Electoral College system play any part causing them to focus their attack on certain states, giving Trump the win while Hillary received three million more votes? If this proves to be the case, we need to abolish the Electoral College and elect our president by popular vote.
All the ruckus over this Russian thing is rather interesting. Republican politicians, along with a few Democrats unfortunately, have been messing with our election processes almost as long as the party has existed. The ridiculous gerrymandering of congressional districts following each population census has been going on since the 1800s. Rampant purging of voter rolls, voter ID laws deliberately excluding certain groups, poll taxes and other monetary equivalents; all forms of suppressing the vote along with other dirty tricks I can’t think of offhand. These things are brought to our attention from time to time, but we don’t hear the outcry that is going on over the Russian interference.
If we are to preserve our democracy, these issues beg our immediate attention. Constitutional amendments are needed which don’t happen overnight, and I don’t see it happening before we elect a majority of progressives to Congress. The American people need to wake up and realize that they are losing their freedom and the vote is the only hope for peaceful revolution. I say back to the paper ballot and carefully monitored elections!
Thomas Stumbaugh
Aptos
