to the editor: i have four things to say to donald trump. one, congratulations. you deserve it. two, while the shocking election outcome may be the biggest boost to your ego yet, let it go. over half of the voters did not vote for you, and you cannot fire them. three, citizens like me, who are swallowing their pride today, are also hoping for you to succeed. not a scrap of experience from the corporate world has prepared you for this. the fact that citizens who so fiercely opposed you are now patriotically hoping for your successful stewardship is in complete dissonance with the campaign you ran. may you reap a pound of humility from this lesson. four, you can demonstrate right now that you intend to be a president for all the people and lead a process of national reconciliation by supporting the nomination of merrick garland to the supreme court. it would signal a political cunning that may impress even your harshest critics on the left. this moment on the world stage has created a unique opportunity for a great presidency. will you seize it or squander it for petty personal gain, as many expect you to do? manish mehta oberlin, ohio to the editor: the republicans have won, and their rule is about to begin. the democrats, gracious in defeat, have offered support and cooperation. recall that upon the election of president obama the republicans immediately swore to stymie and obstruct his presidency in any and all ways. the difference cannot be more striking. richard m. frauenglass huntington, n.y. to the editor: i am insulted by the knee-jerk reaction of liberals that anyone who voted for donald trump is a racist, a homophobe and a woman hater. such characterizations show a lack of tolerance for legitimate differences in political views of how our government should be managed. mr. trump was not my choice among the republican candidates (my choice was ted cruz or marco rubio), but his views on selection of supreme court justices and the <u+201c>affordable care<u+201d> act were enough to convince me that i would vote for the republican nominee. i also had legitimate concerns about hillary clinton<u+2019>s performance as secretary of state, such as her failure to provide security for the consulate in benghazi. i was also disturbed by her lack of security for her emails and the selling of influence through the clinton foundation and speaking fees to her husband. i have no apologies for my vote, but i believe that there are apologies owed to me and millions of trump voters who have no hatred toward people of different races, sex or sexual orientation. denis paul juge metairie, la. to the editor: re <u+201c> clinton<u+2019>s campaign of hope and missteps <u+201d> (news article, nov. 10): hillary clinton did the right thing when she urged her supporters to keep <u+201c>an open mind<u+201d> about donald trump and give him a chance to lead. keeping an open mind, though, isn<u+2019>t the same as wiping the slate clean. mr. trump can<u+2019>t simply unsay the things he<u+2019>s said, or undo the things he<u+2019>s done. mr. trump deserves a chance to demonstrate that he sees and treats women with respect, but until then he<u+2019>ll remain a misogynist. until he demonstrates tolerance for those who disagree with him, he<u+2019>ll remain a demagogue. until he shows himself capable of human compassion, he<u+2019>ll remain a self-absorbed narcissist. until he begins to tell truths that don<u+2019>t serve his purposes, he<u+2019>ll remain a liar. and the list continues with the xenophobia, racism, cruelty, vindictiveness and other qualities that his campaign put on display. the burden is on mr. trump to show us he can change, not on us to forget the history of his behavior. david sabritt seattle to the editor: how ironic that the candidate who consistently complained that the election was <u+201c>rigged for the establishment<u+201d> won <u+2014> with fewer votes than his opponent. this is the second <u+201c>rigged<u+201d> election in less than two decades, and each time republicans have been the beneficiary of the rigging. isn<u+2019>t it time for the actual popular vote count to determine the outcome? john gallogly los angeles to the editor: donald trump has been elected president, and one thing has become abundantly clear. our election process is flawed. debates don<u+2019>t matter, endorsements don<u+2019>t matter, editorials don<u+2019>t matter, polls and predictions don<u+2019>t matter, tax returns don<u+2019>t matter, dishonesty doesn<u+2019>t matter, sexual harassment doesn<u+2019>t matter, pundits don<u+2019>t matter and qualifications for elected office don<u+2019>t matter. most americans didn<u+2019>t care about them, as the 2016 election has shown. doris fenig boca raton, fla. to the editor: political commentators just don<u+2019>t get it. i am a middle-of-the-road republican. if joe biden had been nominated, i would have voted for him. if bernie sanders had been nominated, i would have voted for him. if my next-door neighbor had been nominated, i would have voted for her. hillary clinton was nominated. i voted for donald trump. jim peterson san diego to the editor: it is time for the united states to split into two countries, since we have two clashing cultures that are not compatible. the west coast (california, oregon, washington) plus the northern part of the east coast (new york, new jersey and new england) should join with canada to become the united states of canada. the rest of the country can remain the <u+201c>united states.<u+201d> we will petition the canadian government to accept our representatives and senators into the canadian parliament. problem solved. claire frankel new york a version of this letter appears in print on november 11, 2016, on page a22 of the new york edition with the headline: moving on, after a rancorous election. today's paper | subscribe
moving on, after a rancorous election
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