Opinion
It's been a year that has made it hard to call ourselves The "United" States of America. We are so politically polarized that we have good neighbors shouting foul things over fences at one another for their differences.
But no matter how we disagree, the system still works.
Some Americans were not happy with the current administration and did something that hasn't happened in over nearly 30 years, they voted out a sitting president. It is the epitome of how America works. More Americans and the electoral college system voted for a change. Though, given the number of votes the sitting president also garnered, the new administration is going to have to prove itself worthy of America's nod or we may see Donald Trump do what only Grover Cleveland has done, come back to re-take the White House
In my next looking back column I'll explore that we're far from perfect still.
But no matter how we disagree, the system still works.
Some Americans were not happy with the current administration and did something that hasn't happened in over nearly 30 years, they voted out a sitting president. It is the epitome of how America works. More Americans and the electoral college system voted for a change. Though, given the number of votes the sitting president also garnered, the new administration is going to have to prove itself worthy of America's nod or we may see Donald Trump do what only Grover Cleveland has done, come back to re-take the White House
In my next looking back column I'll explore that we're far from perfect still.
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As in 2016, America proved that every vote, in every state, in every county and in every district was important. Then the country decided to either not care, or they wanted to change the status quo for presidential politics. And they did, voting in someone who has never held office in their life, a celebrity businessman who spoke to a very skeptical and troubled America.
America worked!
Though the presidency is the high ticket item and therefore the most noted, it is the local election results that affect us the most. Local policies determine our neighborhoods. State policies determine how we get about and live in a collective. National policies protect us so our local governments can help us thrive.
We forget this sometimes.
America still works, though we seem to get angry about it more and more, maybe its because of social media where we hear voices we otherwise wouldn't?
This past year I managed to cover a few political events to gauge how we as a community think. There is no question that Venango and Crawford Counties are deep red and Trump loving counties.
I would attend Trump for president events and would feel very uncomfortable in the COVID-19 era. Hundreds attended and probably less than half donned masks or socially distanced.
Then I would attend Biden events and a few dozen people spread out and still wore masks.
Both sides were passionate.
But because I cover this area I know some of the people at one rally work closely and are friends with folks in the other rally. But, because we are neighbors and we have our community to take care of first and foremost, our differences cannot heed the progress of our communities.
We know we disagree, but tomorrow we still have to get the gears of surviving running smoothly despite our differences. Otherwise we're doomed to fail.
I made one photograph about this election that stood out above the rest for me. I was driving through Franklin one evening and saw a lone man in front of the courthouse with a Biden sign. I admit I chuckled and said, "there he is, there is the one democrat in the county." Knowing republicans far out number the democrats this is something I frequently joke about. And there it was illustrated before my eyes.
Perfectly.
Now Ed Scurry is not the only democrat in Venango County, but he was the only one to show up this particular Friday to show support for the democrat candidate. I stopped to make a picture and tell a little tiny story.
This illustrated to me that we live together and because it is America, we can have the gumption to stand alone with our beliefs.
America still works.
It turns out more democrats showed up this election year than in 2016 in the county, or at least more signs, by far were put out. And though the county still overwhelmingly voted Trump, across the state of Pennsylvania every vote for Biden was needed to turn 2016's red state to blue. Each precinct'ss vote for Biden mattered, as did every precinct's vote for Trump or another candidate.(I wouldn't be surprised if a handful of write-ins came for Vince Witherup for President!)
But after it all is said and done, when the smoke cleared and recounts were finalized, it appears we have elected a new president. Only the 42nd time this has ever happened in this countries nearly 250 years.
Affter January 20 rolls around and a peaceful transition of power occurs we will once again see this very impressive idea idea illustrated. And we will move forward.
America still works!
America worked!
Though the presidency is the high ticket item and therefore the most noted, it is the local election results that affect us the most. Local policies determine our neighborhoods. State policies determine how we get about and live in a collective. National policies protect us so our local governments can help us thrive.
We forget this sometimes.
America still works, though we seem to get angry about it more and more, maybe its because of social media where we hear voices we otherwise wouldn't?
This past year I managed to cover a few political events to gauge how we as a community think. There is no question that Venango and Crawford Counties are deep red and Trump loving counties.
I would attend Trump for president events and would feel very uncomfortable in the COVID-19 era. Hundreds attended and probably less than half donned masks or socially distanced.
Then I would attend Biden events and a few dozen people spread out and still wore masks.
Both sides were passionate.
But because I cover this area I know some of the people at one rally work closely and are friends with folks in the other rally. But, because we are neighbors and we have our community to take care of first and foremost, our differences cannot heed the progress of our communities.
We know we disagree, but tomorrow we still have to get the gears of surviving running smoothly despite our differences. Otherwise we're doomed to fail.
I made one photograph about this election that stood out above the rest for me. I was driving through Franklin one evening and saw a lone man in front of the courthouse with a Biden sign. I admit I chuckled and said, "there he is, there is the one democrat in the county." Knowing republicans far out number the democrats this is something I frequently joke about. And there it was illustrated before my eyes.
Perfectly.
Now Ed Scurry is not the only democrat in Venango County, but he was the only one to show up this particular Friday to show support for the democrat candidate. I stopped to make a picture and tell a little tiny story.
This illustrated to me that we live together and because it is America, we can have the gumption to stand alone with our beliefs.
America still works.
It turns out more democrats showed up this election year than in 2016 in the county, or at least more signs, by far were put out. And though the county still overwhelmingly voted Trump, across the state of Pennsylvania every vote for Biden was needed to turn 2016's red state to blue. Each precinct'ss vote for Biden mattered, as did every precinct's vote for Trump or another candidate.(I wouldn't be surprised if a handful of write-ins came for Vince Witherup for President!)
But after it all is said and done, when the smoke cleared and recounts were finalized, it appears we have elected a new president. Only the 42nd time this has ever happened in this countries nearly 250 years.
Affter January 20 rolls around and a peaceful transition of power occurs we will once again see this very impressive idea idea illustrated. And we will move forward.
America still works!
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