An unscientific poll conducted by The Eagle shows that 75 percent of the more than 600 AU students who responded want Kerry to win the Nov. 2 elections.
The media and student groups have pondered over what activists will do if their favored candidate does not win. Some have suggested that there will be riots and demonstrations on the National Mall. AU Public Safety, however, is not expecting any riots, regardless of the election's outcome.
Rioting, regardless of the cause, is counterproductive and it only makes your side look bad. If your candidate does not win the election, it is better to use your anger or frustration in a productive way. At worst, bite your pillow. After all, jumping around in a mob and lighting things on fire does not make your candidate any more popular with the electorate. It also has an equally poor effect on the view the world has of our country.
America is, at the moment, attempting to spread democracy in the Middle East. How embarrassing would it be if Afghanistan's elections go more smoothly than America's? Will a reoccurrence of Florida's mishap mar our country's standing in the eyes of the world? If America is not capable of holding its own elections without trouble, then it will be a truly shameful day for democracy's protectors.
In a time of war, our country cannot afford to be divided over another election scandal. It is time that we find someone to unite behind, regardless of the party to which he belongs. There is no need to dwell on the issues of previous elections or delve into the dirt of one another's backgrounds. It is time to elect the man for the job and end the mudslinging contest that has exhausted America for the last 12 months. There is no place for rioting in Washington, D.C. Hopefully on Nov. 2 one candidate will win, the other will lose and the country will move on.
