A partisan stunt is unfolding in Washington during the counting of Electoral College votes. This may be the last opportunity for Trump loyalists to demonstrate their allegiance in a high-profile way. The objective of the entire exercise is to manufacture an atmosphere of doubt that undermines the legitimacy of the incoming administration.

Sixty cases related to the election have come before judges and the Supreme Court, and they have been dismissed. Yet cries of fraud continue in the rumor mill, even though each claim has been shown to be without merit in a court of law.

It is a sad and dangerous day when elected officials refuse to accept the legitimacy of a candidate who actually won. Must I state the obvious? Seeking to retain power at any cost is undemocratic and unpatriotic.

I need to ask my community: Is there a desire to pull together? Is there goodwill that we can marshal, or has the momentum of division made dysfunction the norm and suspicion more comforting than cultivating trust?

It’s an important question. How do we move forward if someone’s goal is simply to sow division rather than seek solutions? In such a situation, no conversation will bear fruit. Unless an effort is undertaken in good faith by all parties, it will simply be another vehicle for manipulation and broadcasting confusion.

Those participating in Wednesday’s political theater are a case in point. Reasoning with them is a fool’s errand.

George Mason
Nobleboro

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