In M.D. Harmon’s June 3 column, he is quick to condemn voter initiatives, referendums and ranked-choice voting as dangerous tinkering with the work of the Framers, or as solutions to non-existent problems.

I wonder if he has noticed that, because of the freeing of slaves, women’s suffrage and 240 years of immigration, the ethnic and ideological composition of this country’s population is markedly more diverse than anything the Framers might have imagined.

We are still trying to represent this wild diversity, using the simple two-party, winner-take-all system that the Framers gave us.

This has led to open strife within both the Republican and Democratic parties, as disenfranchised groups fight for control of the pathways to political power. Internal strife has left both parties disorganized and, thanks to judicial interference, vulnerable to manipulation by those with money and media access.

Some states have resorted to voter initiatives and referendums, not to subvert the legislative process, but as a way for minorities to see their concerns and proposed solutions aired.

Ranked-choice voting is a further attempt to accommodate diversity by allowing all voters to consider candidates who advocate ideas that neither party can be bothered, or forced, to support.

Building more highways prevents gridlock and accidents, and there are encouraging signs that offering more choices via ranked-choice voting can, similarly, provide relief for our overworked two-party system.

Douglas Sargent

Cape Elizabeth

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