As the Senate confirmed the Electoral College vote on Jan. 6, it became clear that Donald Trump will indeed become our president on Jan. 20. My remaining hope is that a vote of impeachment might occur sooner than later, based on what appears to be his almost treasonous relationships with Russia. I keep wishing that we could awaken from this unfolding nightmare.

 Let me see if I’ve got this right … We will have a president who lost the popular vote by three million, a president who demeans women and disabled individuals, a president who denigrates any religious or ethnic group that he does not come from, a president whose election was somewhat engineered by a known enemy of the United States, and a president whose first actions, such as the repeal of Obamacare, will hurt many of the people who voted for him… 

 We have a president who is forming a government of, by and for the One Percent Club, with more billionaires leading our country than ever before. He’s not draining the swamp; he called out the alligators and is giving them a new feast.

 I keep thinking, how does any of this make sense? I keep trying to figure it out. It feels like Jan. 20 will be a day of mourning. However, I will not let sadness overwhelm me. It is a time to look for that optimistic and compassionate leader who is willing and able to displace Trump within the coming four years and willing to help us rebuild after Trump’s destructive actions. We must work hard at this!

Is there a silver lining to this dark Trump cloud? If anything, as the Trump nightmare unfolds, one can only hope that we will be so disgusted that we will rebound with vigor, learn from our mistakes and claw our way back to decency and to being a compassionate nation, embracing ours and the world’s diversity.   

Before clarity can be achieved, there is sometimes a phase of chaos. Let us hope that this phase is as short as possible and that its damage can be limited as much as possible. 

~ Virgil Stucker, Tryon, N.C.