Letters: Welcoming the return of science; Moving on after election fraud lies

Welcoming the return of science

There’s a third partner in the White House along with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. It’s called “science.”

Remember science? Science discoveries created or enhanced everything we eat or wear and every form of communication and transportation we use — and every medicine we take.

The coronavirus pandemic and climate change are exactly the kinds of challenges that require all that science and scientists can give us.

We ignore science at our own peril, as has been shown over the last four years. Accepting real science could have prevented thousands of pandemic deaths, perhaps some of them your friends or family. And, by ignoring well-established science about climate change, we lost four years in that fight exactly when we didn’t have four years to lose.

Already Biden and Harris have used sound science to make wise decisions that will make a life and death difference in our future. They accept that science says distancing, mask-wearing, and ramping-up the vaccine are the best ways to halt the spread of the virus. And all cabinet offices are now united in following science to fight planet-altering climate change.

After four years of science darkness, we give three cheers for Biden, Harris, and the return of science. Together they bring light and are our best hopes for the future.

Moving on after election fraud lies

We are your neighbors, your friends, in some cases part of your family. We are fellow Americans who want what is best for the citizens of our nation and the world. We understand that there has been a growing dissatisfaction with the lack of good jobs and inadequate pay, and government not helping in this regard, and with this a growing divide. Business is automating or outsourcing jobs while keeping real earning potential for our citizens stagnant or declining since the 1970s. The short-term profit mindset has promoted this travesty.

Now we have a divide made worse by the devotion to a single man, we have a cult of personality for Mr. Trump, representing some 20-30% of our voters.

His most recent series of lies has promoted that the election was stolen. He started stating this months before the election, with no evidence. When he lost he started a series of some 60 lawsuits, all of which he lost, they were deemed without merit, many were judged without merit by Trump appointed judges.

Recounts were made where there was accusations of voter fraud, manual recount showed no vote fraud.

The cyber security leader in the Trump administration found no evidence of irregularities or fraud. He had worked with the states to ensure validity and security of the vote.

Barr let his prosecutors look for voter fraud, they found none.

To those devoted to Trump, seeing this as a reality can be very difficult, admitting mistakes is very difficult.

Everyday people deserve better

I’ve been thinking lately about the integrity and bravery of everyday people compared to most Republican senators.

Everyday people often leave their jobs rather than stay in unethical or undignified positions.

Everyday people often dread getting called for jury duty, yet they solemnly discharge their duties by listening to the case impartially and deliberating in good faith. Everyday Americans take their roles as jurors seriously; Republican senators like Josh Hawley and Lindsay Graham do not.

Everyday people, like the Capitol and Metro Police, sacrificed their lives and bodies to defend our republic. Yet, 44 Republican senators, saved from the mob by those everyday people, voted that the impeachment trial is unconstitutional, despite having no basis in precedent, scholarship, or the Constitution’s text itself. Everyday people fought to uphold our Constitution — and then Republican senators threw that sacrifice away by willfully misinterpreting it.

Forty-four everyday people on Flight 93 protected our Capitol by rushing the cockpit of the 9/11 hijackers and crashing the plane. Those 44 everyday people were far braver and patriotic than those 44 GOP senators sworn to defend the Constitution and the nation against its enemies, both foreign and domestic.

Everyday people are braver and care more about our nation’s cherished principles than most Republican senators who place ambition above all else. They risk our democracy, wallow in dishonesty, and fan the flames of discord.

And everyday people deserve better.