No matter how you (or your neighbor) vote, let us not forget our community connection
This week’s print and e-edition publishes one day after the 2024 general election. While local and statewide election results should be finalized, presidential results could take longer.
Election officials in key swing states are urging the nation to be patient as they tally results. Each state’s vote-counting laws vary and with polls showing an extremely tight presidential race, the closer the results are, the longer it will take to know the outcome.
I have to be honest, I have felt some trepidation leading up to this election, concerned about possible acts of violence as election results unfold. Knowing that it may take days to know who will serve as the next U.S. president adds to my apprehension, but I was reminded of the power of calm, along with strength that comes through connection, when I received a press release Monday from South Dakota’s Attorney General, Marty Jackley.
He is part of a bi-partisan group of 51 Attorneys General who are encouraging calm after the election, adding that the peaceful transition of power is part of the nation’s democratic system. Their joint statement included the following: “Regardless of the outcome of Tuesday’s election, we expect that Americans will respond peacefully and we condemn any acts of violence related to the results. A peaceful transfer of power is the highest testament to the rule of law, a tradition that stands at the heart of our nation’s stability.”
The joint statement continued, “Let us come together after this election, not divided by outcomes but united in our shared commitment to the rule of law and safety of all Americans.”
“Shared commitment.” Yes, of course! He may be talking about shared commitment when it comes to rule of law but there are so many commitments we share every day that truly showcase our commonalities more than our differences, regardless of how we voted:
• We have volunteered together.
• We have sat next to one another at church.
• We have broken bread together at a school/ fundraising/community event.
• We have mourned together.
• We have cheered on our student athletes together. What a privilege to have the right to vote but also to live in a place where community cohesion is alive and well.
Let us not forget how vital a role these connections play in our everyday lives.
With peace and a willingness to see our likeness more than our differences,
Kristi Hine
Editor/Publisher
True Dakotan