Note: The Lawrence Times runs opinion columns and letters to the Times written by community members with varying perspectives on local issues. These pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Times staff.
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Re: “Letter to the Times: What America has chosen,” published Nov. 6:
As I have scanned social media, news articles and talked to local people, I see the cries of despair and fear in the wake of this election result. I find this concerning because it expresses an underlying mistrust of Trump supporters and their intentions.
I don’t believe the majority of people were voting to restrict or silence their neighbors. I believe 72 million Americans willingly chose freedom on Nov. 5. I am so happy to see that the Republican Party of the neo-cons and warmongers is losing control to the populist movement. The Trump win was NOT a Republican win. It was a win for freedom and for working-class people of all ethnicities who have seen their standard of living decrease over the years. Because of inflation, the real weekly wages for the average American worker is lower now than it was 50 years ago. It also looks like those tired of endless government involvement in their lives will get a reprieve. People voted for more jobs, more freedom and less government intervention in their lives.
While the President-elect, or any leader for that matter, can promise unity, the reality is that they don’t have the power to achieve that promise. The only way real conversations and relationships develop is when all of us decide that is what we want. We must all stop taking the media at their word and question the narrative they are presenting about our neighbors. If you had a Trump sign in your yard, perhaps you can walk over to your neighbor who had the Harris sign in their yard and have a real conversation. And if you supported Harris, you might find the Trump supporter has more in common with you than you expect. What I think we will find is that as humans we want many of the same things.
As I have gone door to door in our community and talked to hundreds of people, I’ve found that most of us want our communities to be safe, we want the things we need to be affordable, we want good schools, and we want our retirees to be active and involved in our neighborhoods. Certainly, not everyone I met was willing to have a conversation with me and some were not kind to say the least, but the overwhelming majority were willing to have a real conversation, no matter what sign they had in their yard.
— Rich Lorenzo, rural Douglas County, recent Fifth District Douglas County Commission candidate
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