it is difficult in these last days leading up to november third to think of anything but the election, particularly the presidential election. though the third is the official election day, millions of us have already voted, since every state offers an opportunity to vote early, either in person or by mail. the long lines at the polling stations indicate how important this election is to many americans. mr. trump's loyal base is determined that he should have another term in office, and those of us who are fearful of his being re-elected are just as determined that mr. biden should be the next president.
as we watched the last presidential debate, the contrast between the two men was stark. in mr. trump we saw a man with little concern for the devastation the pandemic has wrought, as he told we had to learn to live with it, and offered no compassion for the thousands who have lost loved ones or those who have been infected by the virus themselves. his primary concern seemed to be reviving the economy, yet he refused to accept responsibility for the failure of government to provide the level of support to businesses and individuals that is necessary to bring about that revival. instead he blamed that failure on the speaker of the house of representatives who has led the house to pass a comprehensive economic support plan which the republican senate refused to consider or the president to endorse.
on the other hand, mr. biden spoke with fervor and empathy to those who sit at their dinner tables and lay in their beds with a loved one missing. he said that, rather than learning to live with the virus, we were learning to die from the virus because the president's administration has no plan for dealing with it and the havoc it has caused. he spoke of the need for reopening the economy in a safe way with adequate financial support for businesses, schools, and individuals, of the need to listen to the advice of our health care experts and responsible scientists, while mr. trump called those experts "idiots." on the one hand, we saw a person intent on division and chaos and one who spoke to us reassuringly with an understanding of the suffering of the people of this country and the world.
we cannot survive another four years of donald trump and his ilk. he is a threat to our democracy, and the empowerment he would feel if re-elected would lead him to new heights of demagoguery and dictatorial power. his tendency toward totalitarianism will be reinforced if the senate remains under republican control and if his nominee to the supreme court is confirmed, as she most certainly will be.
may we americans turn donald j. trump and his enablers out of office. may we restore our democratic ideals. may we honestly confront and deal with the scourge of racism that permeates our society. may government serve us rather than exploiting us. may we work together to bring the infection rate from covid-19 under control by following the best scientific and medical advice rather than ignoring it and listening to a president who tells us that its end "is just around the corner." may we "crown [america's] good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea," as one of our most beloved songs says. shalom.
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