Dear Editor,

For years my mom was Judge of Election for Warren’s old Fifth Ward. She was really proud to be able to serve her community that way.

The entire team was dedicated to fairness, accuracy, and timely reporting of results. Every vote was sacred. Responsibility was fundamental. Rest room breaks were seldom and quick. Team oversight was sacrosanct. Those who replaced her and the team she worked with were just as dedicated and honest.

I know all the poll workers in my region, Warren East. I probably don’t agree much (maybe none) politically with many or all of them. But never have I thought they would not record my vote. Never would I think they would falsify an election. Ditto for the poll workers in all other Warren County polling stations.

I have talked several times this year with Lisa Rivett of the Warren County Elections Office as well as the Commissioners. We have an incredible team that worked diligently to produce fair and accurate election results. These are extremely responsible and hardworking assets to our county.

I, for one, will not sit back and allow our state and federal representatives to chastise our poll workers as liars and cheats. To petition our courts to nullify legal votes by accusing these workers as dishonest, scheming, and conniving criminals is disgusting. To demean these dedicated citizens is just plain wrong.

But of course the Pennsylvania election lawsuits don’t really mean the folks in Warren and similar counties. They really mean to address “those people,” the people that are not “like us.” You know, the city people. Pittsburgh and especially Philadelphia.

“Those people” are not really honest. Those people cannot be trusted like “our people.” “Those people” don’t really have a sense of community. They don’t really have families. They don’t accept responsibility. They don’t work. They can’t count. They can’t be trusted.

Nationally, votes are really only contested in Philadelphia, Detroit, Milwaukee, Atlanta. You know: Where “they” live. “Those people” who don’t trust us. (Why shouldn’t they trust us? I mean we don’t trust them, but they should trust us. Huh?)

Lawsuits were filed threatening to invalidate votes deemed legal by state authorities. We can (and should) toss votes because they went for a candidate we didn’t like? Lawsuits every court (including those with conservative judges) in the country has dismissed as frivolous? A national majority of 7 million votes really shouldn’t be important? There are 7 million illegal voters out there?

Here is what your lawsuits have created.

Local signs: Do not support the Biden Presidency. Oppose Biden-Harris on everything. Trump or war!

Chair of the Republican Party of Texas: The Supreme Court decision will have far reaching ramifications. “Perhaps law abiding states should bond together to form a union of states that will abide by the constitution.” That is called a confederacy. (Trump or War.)

Texas Rep. Kyle Biedermann: “… I am committed to file legislation to allow Texas to reassert its status as an independent nation.”

Rush Limbaugh: “It can’t go on this way. There cannot be peaceful coexistence of two completely different theories of life, different theories of government, different theories of how we manage our affairs. … I honestly think we are headed toward secession.”

Homes are sieged with gun-toting zealots. Threats are made to governors and attorneys general. “You should be swinging from a —— rope.” “You are a dumb corrupt monkey.” “We are coming for you.”

Bombs planted in D.C. Organized mobs take the Capitol. Toting guns. Zip ties. Knowing where to go. At the perceived or ordered direction of the President (stated by the defense of Jacob Chansley, the QAnon Shaman).

Are we the United States of America or just the States of America? We had better decide soon. If we are not united we lose. Putin wins. Bin Laden gets the assist.

James Spangler, OD,

Warren