Love of freedom propels vote

Post-election, the right wing of the Republican Party has about as much appeal as a drunken frat bully in Halloween blackface. The rank stain of racism persists in this country, ditto bigotries against gays, feminists, teachers, unions, immigrants and environmentalists, artfully provoked by hate merchants such as Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter.

Despite $400 million from sinister right-wing billionaires like the Koch brothers, a massive turnout of patriotic American voters succeeded in defending our democracy from their depredations.

Did we cast those winning votes because we want handouts, or because we want to take people’s guns away, or force anyone to have an abortion, or limit anyone’s freedom of religion? Of course not.

We cast those votes because we love our United States of America fiercely, and emphatically reject the claim that we are a nation of selfish lazy mooches who won’t stand up to defend our democracy.

Americans are a freedom-loving people. But that doesn’t mean the freedom to pick and choose who can vote, and whose vote gets counted. Republican voter suppression efforts backfired beautifully.

You tell me I can’t vote, and guess what it makes me want to do?

Chris Norden

Moscow, Idaho