Letters: Kudos on snake research; McConnell is no victim; Try to find middle ground

Democracy, diversity won

No matter how you interpret the results, election night was a good night for democracy. This was all we could do under the circumstances. Think about this: No matter how he spins it, President Donald Trump will be constitutionally checked.

A loud message was clearly sent: America woke up today to the end of one-party rule. This is extraordinary. This is a huge change, a game changer for the presidency.

No longer will there be backroom secret talks and Devin Nunes mysterious investigations. Now Republicans have to give, they have to either play the role of bipartisanship, or really and truly put country first. That will remain to be seen.

More importantly, a record number of women were elected to the House. Women broke political barriers. So as a woman, I woke up happy. I woke up with a lot of power. The diversity in my party, from black candidates, Latino candidates, to Native American candidates won. These extraordinary women won on issues, not hatred. They ran on better health care, protection of the environment and civility.

Change takes time. It’s only just begun.

McConnell is no victim

We now witness Sen. Mitch McConnell become a victim because his restaurant leftovers were thrown onto the sidewalk.

What gets overlooked in McConnell’s contortion of the truth is his flagrant mockery of his duty to represent the constituents he swore to serve. He is a Donald Trump puppet determined to destroy Medicare and Social Security to please his greedy, rich corporate patrons who want to be freed from paying benefits for employees.

Yelling at McConnell is a civic moral duty of decent citizens, to protect helpless victims who will suffer deadly consequences from McConnell’s immoral benefits cuts.

Why do McConnell’s defenders not see themselves as stooges?

In the 1960s, civil rights activists were condemned for not being nice-nice. Bravo the 2018 protestors. History will harshly judge us for passively allowing Trump, McConnell, and spineless Republicans to destroy America while we sat obediently silent.

We need both sides

Progressives and conservatives are the yin and yang of a modern, democratic society. They express reciprocal points of view that maintain a buffer between radicals from either margin of the political scale. Both are absolutely essential. Progressives set future goals; conservatives determine the pace and path. The absence of one or the other produces conditions that can lead to either stagnation or chaos.

Neither of those conditions lay down foundations on which a healthy, cooperative plan for our future can be built. Reducing “liberal” or “conservative” into odious epithets instead of accepting them as alternative (and usually legitimate) perspectives is counterproductive, even self-destructive.

For most of us there is a middle ground within which we can collectively move towards a better future. It’s easy to ignore the reality that we must work and advance together. But it’s necessary that we try to remember that we’re all in this together.

Snakes not threatening

I’m glad the Herald-Leader told the story of the snake research in Red River Gorge. In my life, I’ve run into a lot of snakes. I’ve never been bitten by one who didn’t regard me as a threat.

I once met a copperhead on a trail beneath the chairlift in Natural Bridge State Resort Park. The snake was fairly small, about 18 inches. Although I nearly stepped down on the snake by accident, the snake was curious but not hostile.

It can be very hard to see a snake even when it is out in the open. People don’t need to fear them. I took the snake’s photos and let it relax, and then it went its own way. No harm, no foul.

McGrath showed the way

I want to thank Amy McGrath for her vision of what appropriate political discourse can look like — without unfounded fear-mongering and demonization of those who may not share our political views.

We can work together to solve the very real concerns in our country. McGrath did not win the 6th District race for Congress, but she has inspired many to continue the quest to produce positive change in our country.