To the editor: In defending his intent to vote for neither presidential candidate, Jonah Goldberg dismisses how essential particular person elections are. He signifies that it’s incorrect to see them as “spiritual wars in regards to the nature of actuality.”
Nonetheless, that’s precisely what presidential and Senate elections have turn into. Had the end result of the 2016 election been totally different, we’d nonetheless have constitutionally enforceable abortion rights that no state might abolish.
Whether or not spiritual right-wing oppressors or supporters of the separation of church and state are positioned on the U.S. Supreme Court docket and the decrease federal courts relies on who the president is and who controls the Senate.
There are candidates who would flip the nation over to these intent on imposing their spiritual views on society. Others imagine that the federal government ought to be impartial in issues of faith and that believers and nonbelievers ought to be equal earlier than the legislation.
Such elections do turn into “spiritual wars in regards to the nature of actuality.”
Edward Tabash, Los Angeles
The author is an lawyer who chairs the board of administrators for the Middle for Inquiry.
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To the editor: I respect Goldberg. I imagine him to be clever and customarily truthful. He has been clear that he doesn’t imagine that former President Trump is nice for the nation and even the Republican Celebration. Being a conservative, he apparently can’t carry himself to vote for a Democrat, so he’ll write in another Republican.
There are a lot of folks on either side who object to voting for Vice President Kamala Harris for numerous causes. It is vitally irritating to me that they assume voting third-party or for neither candidate isn’t basically a vote for Trump.
For somebody like Goldberg, who is aware of that Trump is horribly unqualified, to waste his vote is inexcusable.
Patricia Colburn, Pasadena
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To the editor: I’m respectful of Goldberg’s choice to not vote for both candidate. That’s his proper.
Nonetheless, when he states that he received’t vote for Harris partly as a result of he understands the vice chairman will carry the District of Columbia, the place he lives, by 30 factors is an ideal instance of why the electoral school is antiquated. It’s an anachronism that makes many individuals imagine their vote doesn’t matter, in order that they don’t hassle turning out.
Dave Gershenson, Van Nuys
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To the editor: Goldberg says, “I’ll write in some regular, first rate Republican on my poll,” moderately than vote for both Trump or Harris.
He could possibly write in a reputation, however it most likely received’t rely as a vote within the election. The District of Columbia, the place Goldberg resides, has a rule (much like most states) {that a} write-in candidate should file an “Affirmation of Write-In Candidacy.”
Though within the district, in contrast to most states, the deadline for this type (Nov. 12) is after the election, it’s unlikely the individual Goldberg writes in will ever file the shape and, thus, his “vote” won’t rely.
Gary Clark, Los Angeles
