Editorial: The voters have spoken, and we must accept results and move country forward

The voters have spoken. Donald Trump will return to the presidency in January. Whether he returns to the White House, or how long he stays there, could be determined by his sentencing later this month over his conviction on 34 counts of fraud and falsifying business records. Such convictions often result in prison time, although we’ll surely see a lengthy appeals process from Trump’s attorneys.

We trust we won’t see the demonstrations that followed his first election, with thousand taking to the streets to declare, “He’s not my president.” Yes he is. Let us follow the example of Vice President Kamala Harris, who already has graciously congratulated her opponent.

The also should acknowledge that Trump is a known entity, and despite hyperbolic warnings that our very democracy is at stake, this country will be just fine. After all, we were fine after his first term.

Anti-Trumpers can take solace in the fact that despite his bluster and threats, Trump doesn’t have a good record of making good on his promises.

He’s promised to complete his “big, beautiful” border wall, but despite his diversion of billions of dollars from other government allocations to fund the wall during his first term — some of which found its way into the pockets of supporters of Trump and the wall — only a few new miles were built; the majority of the work repaired sections of the barrier that already had been built.

He’s promised to deport millions of immigrants from this country. It would be a difficult task; most illegal residents escape detection; officials have to find them first, and they have always been looking for them.

Economists blast his promise to increase tariffs on imported goods. While the degree of his planned surcharges — which only raise prices for consumers — might be unprecedented, this country has a long history of imposing them. He isn’t the first.

The effect of other Trump economic policies, which also have drawn criticism, will be seen. Some of them during his first term planted the seeds of inflation for which Joe Biden largely has been blamed, but they surely were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the business closings and supply chain disruptions that followed.

Still, four years tend to pass relatively quickly, and Trump’s successor can choose to keep, change or undo his policies, just like administrations have throughout our nation’s history. We hope his beneficial decisions outnumber the bad, but know that we have survived bad decisions before.

Perhaps the most negative aspect of Donald Trump’s ascendence is that, sadly, many Americans have chosen to copy his personal style. It can’t be denied that over the past decade our society in general has become more aggressive, more confrontational, and more violent.

We hope that this societal change is an aberration and we’ll return to more tranquil levels once Trump’s second term ends. Unfortunately, several opportunistic politicians have copied his style, and enjoyed some success doing so. We can only hope that her new aggressive ways aren’t permanent.

Either way, let us all remember that the nation is greater than any one person. Presidents change every four or eight years, and this nation marches on.

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