LJ Schaffnit: Too many politicians manipulating their power rather than running country

To The Daily Sun,

On Nov. 5, the electorate of our nation will decide if our country will survive to remain a democratic republic; to continue being a guiding light or become a dimming beacon. This is not a choice between right or left, liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican. It is a moral decision about our constitutional order and about whether or not we’re going to put our country above party.

Next month, going to the polls, voters will have numerous issues to consider; the economy, health care, Social Security, border security, personal freedoms, etc. My overriding concern is for the preservation of our democratic republic. Disastrously, Donald Trump and his Republican/MAGA Party have made it clear, by what they have said and by what they have failed to say, that they will not recognize the results of the election — unless, of course, they prevail.

The false and cynical claims of the Big Lie threatening our democracy as much as Trump himself. Conservatives know they lost the election in 2020, but they are detached from reality because of their willful ignorance. Few actually believe the nonsense. The Big Lie is now being used to restrict voting rights and enable partisan interference in election administration, voter roll purges, restricting access to mail-in voting and other “reforms” to remedy what they know are wholly fabricated failures in the 2020 election; and all under the guise of voter integrity. Sounding off with a variation of the theme of “voter fraud” will give Trump a myth to point to if he should lose.

Ultimately, the ethical and the moral quality of government depends on the individuals who administer it, especially those who provide its leadership. Unfortunately, far too many politicians are manipulating their own power rather than running the country.

L.J. Schaffnit

Gilmanton