November: Election Day, Veterans Day

As I am writing this column, it is Election Day. The polls are open and voters across the country are going to their polling places to cast their ballots. Many others, in fact, 78 million of our fellow citizens, have already cast their ballots during the early voting time frame.
This election year, I think we can all agree, is one of the most polarizing in our history. Polls indicate the voters are very evenly divided.
That might be true. It is a tradition in national elections that the voters in the tiny New Hampshire village of Dixville Notch all go to the polls at midnight so they can be the first in the nation to vote. And so, all six residents gathered at midnight to cast their votes. And guess what, the result was three votes for Kamala Harris and three votes for Donald Trump.
But the bigger issue than how divided we are is that we have become so polarized. So polarizing that some have already decided that the election will not be valid, that it is somehow “rigged.” There have even been reports in recent days of election officials taking extra precautions to ensure that election workers and those coming to vote are safe. To me that is very disturbing. Worrying about voter safety here in the United States of America. I cast my first presidential vote in 1972. And in all those years I have never been worried that the election would not be fair or that going to vote would not be safe. And I’ve served as an election judge and never had a concern about safety.
Over the years sometimes the candidates I voted for won and sometimes they lost. That was to be expected. But when the elections were over we all accepted the results and even though those on the losing side might very well complain, there was still the feeling that we are all Americans and we will work together for the common good.
Or as my dad always told me, as long as you voted you had the right to complain. He never asked me who I voted for, but he always asked if I voted.
Now to fast-forward to next week.
Monday is November 11, Veterans Day. That’s the day we honor all who have served in the armed forces of the United States, in times of war and in times of peace. In wars supported by the public and in wars that were not so popular.
And they did not all agree on the path their country was taking.
As one who remembers the late 1960s well, I know there was a lot of disagreement. And yes, some of those disagreements did turn violent. But there was still that feeling that we all had many common beliefs.
But now it all seems different. It seems that there are more people who are not willing to put their disagreements behind them tomorrow, after the election.
How about we all take time now to take a deep breath, calm down, and since Veterans Day is coming next week, think about how they served the United States, all the people, not just the half they agree with.
So to all the veterans out there, thank you for your service.