Will of the people: denied

By Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.
TriceEdneyWire.com Columnist

As I write this opinion, Hillary Clinton’s vote total leads Donald Trump by over two million votes! These popular votes reflect the will of individual voters and establish a majority of voters who favored her over Trump. Despite that majority, barring an event of monumental proportion, Trump will be sworn-in as the 45th US President on January 20, 2017. His vehicle to the presidency is the vote of the Electoral College, an 18th-century relic of the political process.

In order to establish a united federation of states, the 1787 Constitutional Convention had to resolve conflict between populated northern states and less-populated southern states. Out of this conflict came a compromise which has distorted the will of the national majority and codified racial animus.

To balance power between these states, the Constitutional Convention endorsed a system of electors, apportioned based upon population, who would represent each state. Integral to this system of electors was a “Three-Fifths Compromise” which, for the purpose of tallying population, established that each of the non-voting slaves held in southern states would count for 3/5ths of a person. Scholars will also explain that issues of delayed communication, slow transportation and information about presidential candidates also facilitated acceptance of “The Electoral College.”

Consequently, those believing the 2016 Presidential Election is over may be surprised to learn that the Electoral College doesn’t vote for president until the “first Monday after the second Wednesday in December” (December 19th). Until a joint-session of Congress tallies and confirms the vote of the Electoral College on January 6, 2017, the winner of the election will not be officially declared.

For those also believing that our democracy was designed to support/reflect the will of the majority, the outcome of the 2016 election is a travesty. Sadly, this is the second time in sixteen years that the will of the majority has been abrogated by an outdated electoral process. Al Gore earned .5 million more votes than George W. Bush; and now, Hillary Clinton earned two million + more votes than Donald Trump.

Consequences are yet to be measured; but, from my perspective, it doesn’t bode well for our nation’s future. This outdated system has allowed Trump to submit Cabinet nominees whose positions foretell regressive threats to many Americans. Two nominations I find most disturbing are those of billionaire Betsy DeVos and Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions. Having already expressed my fears of a Department of Justice under the control of Sessions, I’ll give my thoughts on a Department of Education under DeVos.

DeVos is practically a single-issue candidate favoring school vouchers. Without an education background, her influence stems from her wealth. She’s the wife of billionaire Dick DeVos, heir to and former President/CEO of Amway and its successor Alticor. She’s also the sister of Erik Prince, President/CEO of security contracting firm Xe (formerly, Blackwater).

I believe that education is the pathway to success. DeVos’ voucher plan/position will strip money from public education to the detriment of low-income families that are unable to supplement their voucher value to pay for private school tuition. Their children will be relegated to remaining in dysfunctional public schools which, because of the extraction of tax revenues for vouchers, will be less able to provide quality instruction and deny students the opportunity to compete in the global economy.

Although claiming to be President for all of the people, Donald Trump’s first decisions seem to negatively impact the most vulnerable. Without protections of the law afforded by the DOJ and the opportunity to develop academic skills necessary for personal success, the future looks dim for millions of Americans.

While we question Trump’s motives, we are as well-served by questioning and working to change or eliminate the “rigged” system that awarded him the Presidency.

This article originally published in the December 12, 2016 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.