Have we made a grave mistake during the election?
DEAR EDITOR:
As the new year begins, our nation faces an unprecedented moment: in a few days; we will be led by a convicted felon. Were he not the president, he wouldn’t even be allowed inside the White House, as most felons are barred from admission.
The recent election revealed how deeply divided we are as a country. While the popular vote was nearly split 50/50, the Electoral College delivered a decisive victory for Donald Trump.
As I write this, Trump is in the process of blocking a bill that would keep the government open and provide much-needed disaster funding for FEMA. This moment reminds me of how relieved many of us were to see him leave office after four years marked by his mismanagement of the government. His administration oversaw the deaths of 1 million Americans during the COVID crisis, he was impeached twice — first for abuse of power, and second for inciting an insurrection — and yet, here we are again.
It’s worth remembering that the government is not a business. It doesn’t exist to generate profits. Its sole purpose is to serve the American people — all of us, including those some might personally dislike. When disaster strikes, we all look to the government for help. We don’t expect private individuals such as Elon Musk to step in, though their charitable donations are appreciated. Instead, we rely on our government to act with urgency and empathy, ensuring that victims of disasters are cared for without calculating a “return on investment.”
Trump has chosen to kill a bill simply to keep the government open. Nearly half of the electorate voted to return him to office, but now all of us must hope this decision doesn’t prove to be a catastrophic mistake for the entire country.
RICHARD OUZOUNIAN
Warren