We're better than this

Politics have a way of bringing out the worst in people, and that’s never been truer than in the wake of the 2020 election.
Online conspiracy theories and unfounded allegations of voter fraud are still widely believed by many who feel their candidates had their elections “stolen” from them.
We’ve grown accustomed to reading these sentiments on social media and even in a few random letters to the Star Herald editor, but we’re disheartened to learn some people are taking a more direct approach.
In our Oct. 13 edition, we reported that Rock County Commissioners had to assert their authority in addressing election integrity. The action arose after local election staff had encountered regular questions about voter registration and election procedures.
In today’s paper, we report that elections staff at the Rock County Courthouse continue to be harassed by voters questioning their processes and suggesting ballot mishandling.
It sounds as if these questions are being answered, sometimes repeatedly, but the harassment is “taking a toll,” according to those who are under fire.
What has become of us? This isn’t who we are.
We probably shouldn’t be surprised, considering the new character lows we’ve grown accustomed to.
It’s the teacher’s fault when a student’s grade isn’t what we hoped for. It’s the ref’s fault when the score doesn’t end in our favor. It’s the officer’s fault if we fall on the wrong side of the law. It must be the election worker’s fault when our candidate doesn’t garner enough votes.
Critical thinking is one thing but being critical merely to be critical isn’t good for anyone, and it will ultimately bring everyone down.
We saw what happened in closely contested races in Arizona and Florida precincts two years ago. But that doesn’t happen here.
Because we’re better than that. Common sense and human decency prevail in Rock County. At least it usually does.
Let our election workers do the work they’re trained to do under the same tightly regulated system that has protected our election integrity for decades.
It should go without saying, but above all else, let’s be kind.