A question on my mind
It is the Saturday following the election of Donald Trump. Thousands have taken to the streets of New York City, Los Angeles, Portland, Salt Lake City, Miami, Atlanta and other cities. Petitions are circulating that call on the members of the Electoral College to ignore their pledges and to elect Hillary Clinton.
To elect Hillary Clinton after she lost the election under the rules of the Electoral College would be to prove true all of Donald Trump's allegations that the election was "rigged." It is also highly unlikely when you factor in the requirement that the Congress, firmly controlled by Republicans must approve the vote of the Electoral College.
One has to wonder just how many of those who have taken to the streets actually voted in the election, and how many of them voted for Hillary Clinton. People in large cities in states that went for Trump are among those decrying the election's result.
I want you to close your eyes in a moment and imagine the scenario I'm about to describe. It's the Saturday after the election. Hillary Clinton was the victor in the electoral college, even though Donald Trump won the popular vote. Or if you prefer, you can imagine her as the victor of both contests. The supporters of Donald Trump are taking to the streets claiming that the election was rigged. What would you think of what is going on?
Aside from the charges of voter suppression, many of which are well-founded, and the weakening of the Voting Rights Act, there's no real evidence that Hillary Clinton lost a rigged election. It wasn't stolen. Unless there is something that went on behind the scenes in the rural voting, Trump prevailed. The reasons why he prevailed aren't as important right this second as how we as a nation need to respond.
By all means, protest. Vent. Scream. Shout. Rage against the dying of the light. As long as it is done without violence or destruction of property.
Petition if you must, but recognize that you are probably pursuing a fool's errand. Even if you get millions of signatures, the process of choosing electors will not be easily overcome without changes in the laws that govern the electoral process.
Let's focus on other things, once we're past the mourning of this loss.
1. Make it clear that we as a people will not accept acts of hatred. Hate speech may be protected by our Constitution, but what's been going on since the election in terms of actual hate crimes is not protected. We must insist that the laws against these crimes be enforced.
2. Use our right to speak freely to question anything and everything we do not agree with that transpires from this point forward. Hearing that Donald Trump is considering keeping key portions of the Affordable Care Act in place regarding preexisting condition limitations and the ability of children to remain on their parental healthcare coverage until they reach age 26 is a sign that the presidential Trump may not be as intransigent as the campaigning Trump sounded.
That doesn't mean we can relax our vigilance regarding every action taken by a Trump administration. Just as states took legal action when they believed President Obama had exceeded his authority with certain executive orders, we the people must push our state legislators to do the same if/when President Trump does the same. If he issues an executive order to bypass the legal process for deportations that is called for under federal law, we must push back.
3. Recognize that as we work to preserve our rights and our nation, the process to change the composition of our federal government takes time. Two years from now we could be celebrating the results of a mid-term election that will put control of the House and the Senate into the hands of people who do not hold the same beliefs as Donald J. Trump.
As much as I would prefer to see Hillary Clinton and not Donald Trump take the oath of the office of the President next January, I don't see that happening. So it is on me, and on you, to do everything in our power to minimize the resulting damage from that inauguration.
To elect Hillary Clinton after she lost the election under the rules of the Electoral College would be to prove true all of Donald Trump's allegations that the election was "rigged." It is also highly unlikely when you factor in the requirement that the Congress, firmly controlled by Republicans must approve the vote of the Electoral College.
One has to wonder just how many of those who have taken to the streets actually voted in the election, and how many of them voted for Hillary Clinton. People in large cities in states that went for Trump are among those decrying the election's result.
I want you to close your eyes in a moment and imagine the scenario I'm about to describe. It's the Saturday after the election. Hillary Clinton was the victor in the electoral college, even though Donald Trump won the popular vote. Or if you prefer, you can imagine her as the victor of both contests. The supporters of Donald Trump are taking to the streets claiming that the election was rigged. What would you think of what is going on?
Aside from the charges of voter suppression, many of which are well-founded, and the weakening of the Voting Rights Act, there's no real evidence that Hillary Clinton lost a rigged election. It wasn't stolen. Unless there is something that went on behind the scenes in the rural voting, Trump prevailed. The reasons why he prevailed aren't as important right this second as how we as a nation need to respond.
By all means, protest. Vent. Scream. Shout. Rage against the dying of the light. As long as it is done without violence or destruction of property.
Petition if you must, but recognize that you are probably pursuing a fool's errand. Even if you get millions of signatures, the process of choosing electors will not be easily overcome without changes in the laws that govern the electoral process.
Let's focus on other things, once we're past the mourning of this loss.
1. Make it clear that we as a people will not accept acts of hatred. Hate speech may be protected by our Constitution, but what's been going on since the election in terms of actual hate crimes is not protected. We must insist that the laws against these crimes be enforced.
2. Use our right to speak freely to question anything and everything we do not agree with that transpires from this point forward. Hearing that Donald Trump is considering keeping key portions of the Affordable Care Act in place regarding preexisting condition limitations and the ability of children to remain on their parental healthcare coverage until they reach age 26 is a sign that the presidential Trump may not be as intransigent as the campaigning Trump sounded.
That doesn't mean we can relax our vigilance regarding every action taken by a Trump administration. Just as states took legal action when they believed President Obama had exceeded his authority with certain executive orders, we the people must push our state legislators to do the same if/when President Trump does the same. If he issues an executive order to bypass the legal process for deportations that is called for under federal law, we must push back.
3. Recognize that as we work to preserve our rights and our nation, the process to change the composition of our federal government takes time. Two years from now we could be celebrating the results of a mid-term election that will put control of the House and the Senate into the hands of people who do not hold the same beliefs as Donald J. Trump.
As much as I would prefer to see Hillary Clinton and not Donald Trump take the oath of the office of the President next January, I don't see that happening. So it is on me, and on you, to do everything in our power to minimize the resulting damage from that inauguration.
posted by me at 1:41 PM
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