‘Confidence’ in elections shouldn’t be ruse to suppress vote
The problem with Gabriel Sterling’s remark, “We need to do what we can to restore confidence (in elections),” (News, Jan. 15) is that to many Republicans, winning elections is the only thing that will restore their confidence. Earlier this month, I received a Christmas card postmarked Dec. 21. Unlike the Republican fantasy about ballot fraud, there’s a factual basis for concern about timely U.S. Postal Service delivery of absentee ballot applications and ballots to and from elections offices. GOP proposals to remove ballot drop-off boxes don’t increase my confidence in elections. Call it out for what it is: New requirements beyond having to provide a driver’s license or state ID number on an absentee ballot application – such as having to provide a photocopy of an ID absent an ID number, and eliminating no-excuse absentee ballots and drop boxes – are voter suppression. Because, hey, voter suppression is what’s needed to restore Republicans’ confidence in elections.
DAVE BEARSE, ATLANTA
Hurting men are behind much of anger over election results
I feel we are seeing not so much groups upset about the election as we are seeing thousands of boys and men falling out of society due to the treatment to make them tough from infancy. This mistreatment over time has hurt their ability to learn and grow more effectively. Due to steady increases in prices and the more or less freezing of wages, they are no longer able to support themselves or others. We must know that these are not groups disputing the election, but groups of “individual boys and men” who are suffering with low esteem, even low feelings of self-worth or desire to live. They are clinging together to joint feelings of esteem and self-worth. I feel this is creating threats, not just from those groups but also those “individuals” who, while suffering, are also picking up other maintained layers of anger, hate, and hopelessness from those groups they are associating with.
LYNN OLIVER, MILLEDGEVILLE
