ELECTION: Counter to civility

As a history major and former social studies teacher I am struck by Donald Trump’s concept of “counter puncher” and the fact that it apparently is viewed by some people as a positive thing. That concerns me, not because Trump did it but because it reflects that our political campaigns have descended even further into the mud.

Both parties are responsible for that and the evolution has taken it’s natural course. Campaigns have tended to exchange non-policy related insults and lies and both parties do it. My concern is that citizens are voting based on that process or based on empty promises. Politicians are not incentivized to say how they will do it. They can lie (and they all do). They can present empty promises (and they all do). They can suck you in to the vortex of negativity (uugh!)(and they all do). So the end result is that the better counter puncher might win and we end up with leaders who have carte blanche to do whatever they want. Since they have no citizen-driven mandate, money is usually what drives them.

I exhort all of you to demand more from the people you vote for.

MORT KRAUS

Coeur d’Alene