Jim Bagwell: Accept election results and join the parade

In response to barrister Bo Statham, I must wonder where you received your doctorate allowing you to psychoanalyze a man who was elected President. Law school must give you an insight that others obviously don’t possess.

In the previous 13 Presidential elections that I have been part of, I haven’t seen one that gave 100 percent of the vote to the winning candidate. Alas, there’s always going be some degree of angst on the part of those who vote for the loser. Heck, I remember when those opposing President John Kennedy believed the pope would be the “de-facto President” because of religion. Andrew Jackson was espoused as the worst possible candidate because he hailed from the West, an uncouth area known as Tennessee.

In the words of President Obama after he won election, “Elections have consequences.” President-elect Donald Trump hasn’t even chosen his cabinet and you’re professing doom and gloom including near or complete collapse of the country. I have more faith in our country than that.

The Constitution is the framework of our system of government and the glue that binds it together in times of trial. I’m assuming you know more about the Constitution than I, but I fail to see the demise of our system of government. I see a change in direction, yes, but I’m not a doom and gloom professor as you seem to be. I’m writing this on Veterans Day and feel I have a right to do so as I along with my brothers (and sisters) in arms fought to defend that very Constitution you speak of.

I admit I had reservations about both candidates. I studied all of my options, candidate positions, and associated effects long range on our Constitution and our way of life. I opted to vote for the candidate who promised to choose Supreme Court Justices that would uphold the Constitution, not change our social structure based on liberal social engineering from the bench. I want my two-month-old great-granddaughter to have the same opportunities and expectations as I, my children and grandchildren have experienced. A parent’s simple wish is a better life for our kids.

As for your abuse of the truth, you should do some research. President-elect Trump didn’t refer to all Hispanics as murderers and rapists. He did refer to some using that vernacular because data analysis shows a portion of illegal border crossers have, in fact, committed those criminal acts. Case in point, some Latin American countries will not take back the criminal elements they have sent north to us as they know the background of those they don’t want back. A homicide that occurred in San Francisco’s waterfront area is a case that precipitated Kate’s Law our Senator Reid wouldn’t allow to go to the floor of the Senate. I would hope you, of all people, would believe in the rule of law. I’m sure a solution to our immigration woes exists, but it will not occur until we secure our borders.

As a side note, not all persons in the United States illegally are Hispanic, so you should curb your epithets based on ethnicity.

President-elect Trump has the best single credential the could possess; no prior government experience. If you wish to drain a swamp you should have no allegiance to the swamp or swamp rats who inhabit it. I choose to hope the change on the horizon will be good for the forgotten masses but maybe difficult for those entrenched in Washington, D.C.

A wise man would not only take a wait and see position, he would posture himself to support and assist the new leader to succeed. It does us no good to hope for and predict failure. It’s easy to continue to be pessimistic, but that will only give you heartburn. You’re not going to get a do-over, so accept the results and join the parade.

Jim Bagwell of Carson City is a Vietnam veteran and graduate of the FBI National Academy who worked 31 years in law enforcement.