EDITORIAL

Good riddance to bad leadership

In a recent editorial about the United States presidential election, we asked the question: Will democracy be allowed to prevail?

Unfortunately, dear readers, at this time we still do not have an answer to that pertinent question as it relates to Tuesday’s election.

Statements  by President Trump continue to cause concern to many in  the Caribbean community in Canada who have been phoning  relatives and friends south of the border anxiously trying to find out what’s really going on.

According to media reports from the United States,  early yesterday morning, Trump appeared before supporters at the White House and cried foul over the election results, calling the process ” a major fraud on our nation.” Of course, he has not produced any evidence of  fraud. But that does come as a surprise?

And he has promised to go to the United States Supreme Court to stop the voting – even though the voting has ended. Would somebody please let him know that the voting has ended.. Will somebody also let him know that there is a difference between voting and counting the votes.

Up to yesterday morning there were still hundreds of thousands of votes still to be counted and the outcome was still unclear in  key states he needs to win against  Democrat Joe Biden .Yet Trump has already declared himself the winner of the elections, That too should  come as no surprise. Don’t forget that  Trump’s presidency was built on lies.

If Trump, the lying  bully and racist ,were to get a second term, well we can  expect more of  the same..

Many  election watchers in  Canada from Toronto’s Caribbean community say they have a special interest in this week’s  US election because Biden ‘s running mate, Kamala Harris  is of Jamaican and Indian parentage and  they are anxiously awaiting the results.

Up to press time  the excitement  remained at a high level among Caribbean election  watchers even though the Democrats  did not capture Florida where many West Indian voters reside.The  Trump-Biden race is still seen as a close one.

But  what if  Trump loses the election? We have asked the question before but it bears repeating. Will he quietly concede defeat and leave peacefully? Many close observers of the current election  campaign have serious doubts  that he will  quietly step down if he loses.

Recent news reports from the United States said polls indicate that a growing number of Americans on both sides of the political spectrum believe that violence would be justified if the other side wins the election

We are told that there are already  post -election signs of unrest.

More than 1,000  persons protesting President Donald Trump descended on Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House. on Tuesday night.

And hundreds more  were  marching through parts of downtown Washington early  on Wednesday, sometimes blocking traffic and setting off fireworks.

Let us hope that every vote counts and democracy does indeed prevail.

And good riddance to bad leadership.