I live in a small town near Penn State. My home county, Centre, fits the name, as it’s dead in the middle of Pennsylvania.

Centre is a true purple county, generally leaning Democrat but by just a hair. Basically, it’s similar to my hometown county, York, in that the largest population center is blue then a purple ring just outside the small city, and then a lotta red. Pennsylvania has several counties like this, and they have an outsized importance in this election because Pennsylvania seems to be so close. Something I wrote about for First Draft back in September.

Where I reside is most certainly red and I will be honest, while we have a few brave souls with Harris signs, I feel very uncomfortable sometimes given all the Trump signs. Many of them can be outwardly nice but at some level, they hold some unsavory beliefs.

This is okay to know but not to say, because as we saw earlier this week, The Rules clearly state that they can say whatever they want but God forbid anyone says anything negative about them. Because even if someone says something that is misconstrued about them, like Biden’s “garbage” comment, the hurt-hound howls will be deafening. Unfortunately, the Washington Post, New York Times, Professional Ridiculous Pundit Chris Cillizza, and the rest of the usual suspects were all over Biden’s so-called gaffe, working overtime to make it the 2024 version of the Comey letter.

This is of course nonsense because again, he was misunderstood, a common issue for elderly people. But also, he is not running. Kamala Harris is the candidate.

The Harris campaign is working hard at winning over all Americans. This is in contrast to the Trump campaign. Kamala Harris says things like “I will always listen to you even if you don’t vote for me, I will always tell you the truth, even if it is difficult to hear. I will work every day to build consensus and reach compromise to get things done.”

She has also said, “I will be a president for all people.” Let’s compare that with Trump. who has referred to those who don’t support him as “the enemy within.” He has threatened, by NPR’s count, his political opponents with imprisonment more than 100 times. And just last night, he specifically threatened to execute Liz Cheney. Harris pledges to put a Republican into her cabinet, Trump threatens to kill the “wrong” type of Republican.

This kind of rhetoric has driven Trump’s supporters into a hateful frenzy. I have seen some loathsome stuff about Harris online, but given where I live, I have heard some awful stuff about Harris in person. I really do have some neighbors who would celebrate her murder. Despite this, Harris has run an inclusive campaign. She is echoing the close of Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address, held during what is probably the only other time our nation was divided by a hateful side.

With malice toward none with charity for all with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right let us strive on to finish the work we are in to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan ~ to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.

If you do not want to vote for Harris over Gaza, I understand the pain. If you do not want to vote for Harris over a difficult economic situation, I understand that pain as well, as I have experienced it growing up and the first part of my adulthood. But voting for Trump or a third party will not end that pain, only make it worse. And it will make the pain much greater and spread it.

Besides, do not look away or ignore what Trump is. He tells us what kind of monster he is every day, and his core supporters revel in it, further dividing us because they are targeting specific groups within our American public. Despite that, Harris still reaches out and attempts to make our nation better, together.

With malice towards none.

The last word goes to Stevie Wonder.