Letters on getting over election, Constitution

Get over it?

These election results go way beyond general political disappointment, so please forgive us if we can’t “get over it.”

Millions of women that have fought for equal rights for decades will not see a woman president and have learned that sexism is alive and well. The sick are now worried they won’t have access to health care they need to stay alive.

The majority of people have been told that they lost, when their candidate won. They are now to be governed by a government that is in conflict with their basic beliefs.

We grieve the loss of minimum standards of civility, eloquence and personal maturity in our president. The free world is dazed that the U.S., the moral compass of the world, has just elected a misogynistic racist, with scant understanding of our basic government principles. Despots and our enemies are the only ones outside of the U.S. glad of this election outcome. Perhaps most upsetting, the misogyny and racism appear to now be accepted and tolerated in our society.

So the “winners,” instead of telling us to get over it, should give people a bit of time to adjust to this. It’s a lot to take in.

Post-election reflection

The elections bring reflection of our soul. A reflection made by this local community and country. What type of America do we want to live in?

That simple question gives us the city, state and country we have today.

When that question is asked of me, visions of Martin Luther King and his dream come to mind, and my heart aches at the sacrifice of three young men on June 21, 1964. Those men died for a dream we live today. Some of us can’t live this dream, be it by upbringing, opportunity or tragedy. How committed are we to defining the American dream?

It was through the dedication and bravery of Kansans like Lucy and William Johnston that the Kansas Constitution was the first in the nation to secure women’s rights. Georgia Neese Clark was the woman United States Treasurer, and her legacy continues today.

The only reasons we remember their actions are the votes everyday Kansans and other Americans who are not remembered have cast. What memory will we give our future? Will we be remembered for voting along divided lines? Or for convening on ways to make our tomorrow better?

Constitution

I recall my government classes in middle school explaining that the United States is a republican form of government and not a democracy.

Just to confirm my memory, I went online to the U.S. Government website and printed out the entire U.S. Constitution. I read it and found that Article IV, Section 4, states in part: “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government.” Never a mention of democracy.

I have also examined the Kansas Constitution, again printing out the entire document. The State of Kansas states in SS 6: Finance (b): “The legislature shall make suitable provision for the finance of the educational interest of the state. No tuition shall be charged for such school, except such fees or supplemental charges as may be authorized by law. The legislature may authorize the state board of regents to establish tuition, fees or supplemental charges as may be authorized by law.”

Now, where in the constitution does it say the Kansas Supreme Court should be evaluating school funding?

The truth is, there is a process both in Kansas and the U.S. to make changes, and it’s not judges.

This story was originally published November 18, 2016 at 7:02 AM with the headline "Letters on getting over election, Constitution."