Readers write

Dems, bury the hatchet for the country’s sake

Many of us are stoked by the Democrats’ strong showing. Things clicked, and now there are concrete reasons to feel hopeful for a better America. It was an old-fashioned huzzah that warmed the blood. With congressional control and new governors in many states, the Dems are in an enviable position.

Envy is traditionally a deadly sin, an attitude that blends jealousy and hatred. It produces grudges like nothing else can. “You got what I want, and I will stop at nothing to get it back.” In political terms, Republicans will lick their wounds while resisting in every legal, even illegal, way. Republicans will second-guess their MAGA disaster, try to shed Trump’s skin, and strive to thwart Democrats at every turn. Envy will spice their efforts.

The proof in the Democrats’ pudding will be how they use their new power. They could spoil it by trying to impeach Trump. More debilitating chaos lies that way. The country is tired of that.

Instead, they must prove they can govern rationally. Any hatchets need to be buried for the country’s sake. Correcting abuses and pacifying hatreds must be their focus, not fanning old flames. This will require strong leadership with enough wisdom to convert envy into benevolence.

RICKS CARSON, ATLANTA

Americans want normalcy, not far-left policies

U.S. House and Senate Democrats, congratulations on the election results. But now, please don’t squander this opportunity for a return to normalcy.

You did not win so easily because long-term Democrats and Democratic Socialists suddenly decided to vote for you, but because many middle-of-the-road Republicans and independent voters grew fed up with the current administration’s national and international policies and its mishandling of the economy. And you won because a majority of Americans want a return to sensibility.

This election is not a sudden call to swing from far-right wing to far-left wing actions. If you treat it that way, you’ll have only a two-year window that will snap shut in 2028, and we will return to a gridlocked government.

Your first actions should be to understand the root causes that convinced most moderate Americans to vote for you and take appropriate action to address them — the state of the economy and cost of living, disgust with the war against Iran, abuse of international trade and military partners, corruption and incompetence in high office.

If you handle these things well, then the blue wave may last more than two years.