Editor, Gazette-Journal:

We are fortunate to live in a democratic country where it’s a right and privilege to vote for those we want in leadership roles. They generally represent our own perspectives and ideals and a philosophy with which we identify. Approximately 58 percent of Americans actually voted, one of the least active voting populations among developed countries, a statistic that we should not allow to continue if we care about all that matters in our lives.

Last week, I listened to our current president and the president-elect and I was struck by the tone, the attitude and the choice of words of each.

The president, in his farewell address, said: “I have learned from you”; repeated important words from our Constitution, that “all men are created equal,” that “We the People” can form a more perfect union; that we should “strive together to achieve a common goal”; that by promoting a  peaceful transition of power fr...