What do you think about the victory of Donald Trump?
Trump's triumph is a hard shot to the establishment. What's your take on it? What do you think it means for Alaska? Please send your thoughts to letters@adn.com. We'll publish as many as we can in the coming days.
Political system needs overhaul
The presidential election is over but the ink is still flowing as profusely.
There are tremendous lessons to be learned from this incredible chapter in U.S. history.
I am not a political hardcore, but a middle-of-the-road citizen who has faithfully done his civic duty for decades. Throughout this time I never could understand why only two major political parties dominated in the USA. I've always said it and now more than ever, the time has come to create a number of additional viable parties. Donald Trump and Sen. Bernie Sanders gained the support of millions of citizens alienated by both parties by breaking away from the control of the Democratic and Republican establishment. Might it have been better for the country if they ran as representatives of new parties? Four parties, or six parties, adding the Libertarian and Green parties, would give us more choices and force parties to compromise if they were to get anything done. We would avoid the deadlock created by two parties struggling to dominate.
While we are at it, let's abolish the outdated Electoral College and let the people elect our president, limit the time of the presidential campaign to 6 months, and limit the amount allowed to be spent on a campaign.
It's a tall order but an honest and drastic overhaul of the political system is long, long overdue.
— Michel Villon
Anchorage
Murkowski must check Trump
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, and other responsible Republicans, must now watch closely to see if Donald Trump intends to carry out any of his more extreme campaign promises, some of which, if enacted into law, could badly damage the nation. Ted Stevens, if still alive, would most likely help put all of us Alaskans on some kind of watch, and I hope Lisa does too.
— Jack Roderick
Anchorage
Nation needs to unite under God, hope for Trump’s success
Wow! An incredible victory for Donald J. Trump, a landslide really, and the left is going anarchical. I don't recall the "hateful" Republicans, as those on the left are so apt to call them, rioting, burning our flag, destroying public and private property, fleeing the country. No, but the leftist, outgoing (thankfully) President Obama, and his ilk, have practice in mob psychology. They seem to have known beforehand this would happen. It's likely they have for eight years, with incredible vigor, trained their subjects to do just what they are doing; that's why we haven't heard them call for a stop to it. No, the Republicans did not react with violence the way the left is. They suffered though.
Because half of our country stands for life and for God's holy law in every aspect of our lives and the life of America, we are called "haters." The left has abandoned God's moral and natural law, which is love, so therefore it is easy for them to show their true hateful colors at this time in history. How perverse that I'm labeled a hater because I love God. Look at the truth behind the lie and see who the haters really are. Last time I remember this burning-flag behavior I was watching terrorists who hate us in the Middle East. The left was all for unity; wow, what a contrast to their message during the campaign. Must've been all lies, as I sadly suspected.
America needs God's help, and His truth, to heal. God-fearing Americans have triumphed in this election. So now we hope to God that Trump will succeed in his mandate, and that all citizens of this nation will seek true unity under God, and begin to truly understand and practice with fervor the American motto: In God we trust. Only then will these be United States.
God bless America.
— Jon Eric Thompson
Anchorage
Pistons’ stance wins new fan
I just became a Detroit Pistons fan. I spent much of the day yesterday (the day after the election) wanting to write a letter expressing my dismay that a majority, in the country that I love, could vote for such an unsavory character as Donald Trump for president. But I couldn't find the appropriate words. Then this morning I read an article in the sport section (Nov. 10 ADN, Page C-1) about Piston's coach Stan Van Gundy. Van Gundy echoed my feelings about a man who not only thinks, but says out loud such ugly and un-American things about fellow American citizens. I sincerely hope that Mr. Trump will govern differently than he campaigned. Otherwise America is in for a terrible four years. Go Pistons!
— John A. Farleigh
Anchorage
President needs our support
As is obvious from my previous letters to this column, I have adamantly opposed the election of Donald Trump to the presidency of our nation.
However, he has now been so elected by the citizens of our country, by legal process and in accordance with the Constitution. He is my president, and I will back and support him during his tenure in the White House, and in his promise to re-connect a nation which both candidates did much to split apart over the past year. I seriously urge others who may also have been disappointed, no matter which side you championed, to do the same.
(This does not, of course, preclude offering a little "fatherly advice" if I think he's screwing up!)
— Don Neal
Anchorage
Modesty would help Trump
It's encouraging to hear Mr. Trump say he wants to unite America. A tall order unless he's ready to undergo a total personality makeover, but we can hope. Mr. Obama also wanted to unite America, and he at least had won the popular vote, by a substantial margin. But Republicans in Congress didn't think that was important and committed themselves to fighting the new president on every point. Mr. Trump is very naïve if he expects a warmer welcome from the Democrats and the broader public.
If he is serious about trying to become a uniter, here's a tip for him: don't act as if he has a mandate. He doesn't. Due to a peculiarity of American election law he won the election. No one disputes that. But he needs to acknowledge that more people voted against him and his agenda than voted for. A touch of modesty, a gesture of cooperative spirit would take him a long way.
— Terry Johnson
Anchorage
The views expressed here are the writers' own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a letter under 200 words for consideration, email letters@alaskadispatch.com, or click here to submit via any web browser. Submitting a letter to the editor constitutes granting permission for it to be edited for clarity, accuracy and brevity. Send longer works of opinion to commentary@alaskadispatch.com.