America

It is rare that I post anything political to this sports blog. Still, the election of a new President is a rare occurrence. The system of government and the rights we have under the United States Constitution make this blog and countless other forms of expression possible.

I understand that there are a lot of people who are stunned and acutely disappointed with the election of President-elect Donald Trump. The bottom line is that we live in a democracy and the people have spoken. For those feeling this sense of stunned disbelief and disappointment, remember that this is a COST of democracy.

The President is an institution. It is bigger than one man. We have a system of checks an balances. A plethora of the things said and promised by the President-elect are alarming and/or offensive to a great many people. However we are a nation of hundreds of millions of people. We don't have monarchs. While Trump took it to the greatest extreme I can recall in my lifetime, many politicians run their mouths and are then confined by the reality of the responsibility of their elected office.

This same nation elected a black man, a liberal Democrat, to two terms during the past eight years. Power does not yield easily yet rarely remains in the same hands over greatly extended periods. Yet time and time again, while our nation goes through many ups and downs in its short runs, over the long run it always trends up.

Speak up. Stay involved. Vote. We'll all come out okay.

For those who voted for the President-elect, it is my sincere hope that the decision was guided by your better angels. Many supporters of Mr. Trump and Mr. Trump himself have made public statements that potentially appeal to and suggest otherwise.

While I think the lion's share of voters in any election are driven by positive intentions with the goal of a brighter future, the divisiveness of the rhetoric employed by Candidate Trump inevitably appealed to the angrier, more malevolent, and baser instincts of a significant number of voters.