Elections Troubles Could Be Worse

With all eyes of the world now focused on the Sunshine State and the "historical moment" to which we all bear witness in this unique election, it is no wonder that many have become disappointed with the technicality-invoking nature of our American system of voting and the dual natures it presents by maintaining the Electoral College system. The frustration has been fierce from both the Bush and Gore camps, and our political parties are now entrenched in their positions about what should have been an objective administrative matter. To be sure, even Senator-elect Hillary Rodham Clinton has pledged support to a constitutional amendment abolishing the Electoral College.

All this conflict among our national leaders and levels of government, as The Crimson reported on its front page yesterday, has potentially jeopardized our aura of stability, at least temporarily, in the eyes of the international community.

With all the bright lights of our television cameras pointed at Florida elections, however, we have let slip into the shadows last Tuesday's events in Dakahla.

Dakahla is a town in Egypt 125 miles north of Cairo where an 18-year-old boy died on Tuesday after being shot three times in the head by police. The security forces were trying to disperse a crowd of citizens who had been prevented from voting in their elections. Four other people died, and 60 more were wounded, according to the Associated Press, as clashes between rival voters went from a war of words to a war of weapons in areas throughout Egypt. Police responded with tear gas, batons and bullets as the elections went on. In some areas, supporters of independent candidates literally broke down the doors of polling places to try to vote for their candidate, only to have violence ensue.

We learned yesterday that the ruling party in Egypt maintained their huge majority, and consequently, the efforts of those who gave their lives in an effort to cast their votes did not actually affect any real change in their nation, but died trying.

So before we continue with our made-for-TV melodrama, it may behoove us to take a step back, and use the time during which we are waiting for election results to be finally determined to take a close hard look at how we have conducted ourselves in the United States in the last few days, with our claims of "foul play" and "election mismanagement." Before we continue to chastise one another for being "obstructive of the will of the people," and for claiming that each party has "made a mockery of our fair election laws," we should pray for those who lost their lives in Egypt, and make the effort to do what is seemingly the greatest American sacrifice in this election--have some patience.

--RONALDO RAUSEO-RICUPERO