In light of the recent results of the election in Ukraine and the civil unrest caused by a disgruntled people, one cannot help but see some commonalities between the Ukraine election and the United States election. Fraud and deceit are to blame for the election in Ukraine that was eventually thrown out completely. A country very new to the idea of democracy is on the verge of a civil dispute as Ukrainians take to the streets in protest of their new prime minister. Most of the country does not even recognize their newly elected leader, Viktor Yanukovych, as the prime minister; they refuse to believe that the facts of the election are true.
However, it is rare that Americans take the to streets for much of anything these days – Red Sox World Series wins excluded. In fact, one could probably make the argument that the last time this country was really and truly up in arms about anything was during the Vietnam War. It is not being said that the Americans do not get fired up about ideas, opinions and situations; there have been peaceful marches in Washington D.C. against the war, for human rights, and other causes, Not since the late 1960’s has the entire country been up in arms, protesting in the streets, and absolutely and completely dissatisfied with how the government was handling a situation.
Not to say that the government has not screwed up enough to warrant people rioting in the streets – the 2000 election was reason enough, and this election was also debatably close. We can watch what is happening in Ukraine with two trains of thought – one being that as the worst possible situation pans out, with one death and several injuries reported already, be thankful that a similar situation has not yet broken out in the States, or we can wonder why the American people are not acting in a similar way to the Ukrainians, demanding that each and every vote be counted again and again until we are positively sure that the correct person is in office. For regardless of whom you personally chose to vote for, the right person needs to be in office. It would be unfair and unjust to see the wrong person in office when another rightfully won. Uncertainty is unacceptable in a country founded on the basic principals of truth and justice.
So what is to be done? Are we to take to the streets to make sure that our voices are heard? Or are we going to sit back and allow the peaceful transition of power that our country is known for to happen without conflict? The decision rests on our shoulders. Placing the wrong man in office would be detrimental, both to the credibility of our voting system and to the votes of the American people, no matter whom they voted for. Demand that every vote is counted, that every voice is heard, that each person that stepped up to a voting booth on November 2, regardless of whether they voted for Bush or Kerry, has a vote that meant something to this election. Do not stand down and let 200 years of peaceful transitions of power speak for themselves. It’s time to shake things up a bit.