Time for Common Sense

To the Editor: 
Some people seem to have forgotten we are a nation of laws with a Constitution and framework for the peaceful transition of power and forming a new government post-election. That the president has the responsibility and right to appoint members of his government to various posts with congressional consent required for cabinet posts and the federal judiciary. That under our system the president is chosen via the Electoral College, not the popular vote. 
Many voters are upset with the outcome of the election. Some are devastated and there is so much anger and irrational behavior, some of it likely fostered by anarchists and extreme partisans of the vanquished party or those who fear their favorite causes will be diminished. And yes, it seems what matters most in the process is political power and the pursuit of it, encouraged by the two major-party ruling committees (DNC and RNC).
But in all of this, there is no justification for throwing tantrums or resorting to criminal acts of destruction and rioting. Peaceful protests are fine. But for the sake of the nation, we should all hope President Donald Trump is not a failure.
How we define success or failure is in the eye of the beholder. It’s a problem because the nation is so divided into special interest constituencies and it’s going to take strong leadership in the White House and Congress to pull our nation together. President Trump’s tweets don’t help. It also needs a citizenry who should well heed the words of the late John F. Kennedy in his famous “Ask not what the country can do for you…” speech.
Unfortunately, politicians use our divisions and narrow focus to garner votes. Where have the statesmen gone; those who put the good of the nation above personal ambition?
We could do with a little less selfishly-focused demand for stuff from the government and more concern about what will make us a stronger, safer nation as a whole. It’s the fundamental underpinning of our survival and prosperity. So much depends on having a robust, job-rich growth economy from which can finance many beneficial programs both military and domestic. Without such an economy we’ll continue to flounder with a diminished standing among nations.
Many of us were unhappy with the outcome of the election, me included. While I was glad we’ve finally removed the Clintons from the national political stage, Trump was not my person of choice, though I voted for him knowing full-well that as a New Jersey voter my vote wouldn’t count because all the state’s electoral votes would go to Hillary Clinton. It was a “not Hillary” protest vote affecting only the popular-vote tally.
It’s time we stow the anger and bitter disappointment some of us have and hope President Trump can economically revitalize the nation, perhaps through tax reform and reduced regulatory burden or other means. As I enter my ninth decade, my wishes are not for myself but for succeeding generations. It’s time for some common sense before the wheels come off the nation.