Trump’s relations with Russia are very troubling

If election was influenced, we should be concerned

A headline in the Sunday Albuquerque Journal quotes President-elect Donald Trump as saying closer ties with Russia are “… a good thing.” It seems to me that is a nice way for Trump to sugarcoat and ignore the allegations against Russia of interfering with our elections, along with his apparent indifference to the problem.

How can he so casually insult our veterans who have defended our country against foreign incursion by many countries, including Russia, by acting so dismissive about another country rigging our election? How would he and others be acting if Hillary had won and claims were being made that Russia helped her win? They’d be screaming bloody murder and demanding she be arrested for treason.

Let me state I have no problems with efforts to improve our relationships with other countries, including Russia. I do have a problem with other countries manipulating our elections and undermining our democracy by attempting to install people in office who will advance their agenda instead of ours.

And I do have a problem with any candidate from either party getting help from another country to get elected, especially an antagonistic one that seeks to undermine everything America stands for.

I believe that anyone from either political party who would seek and accept foreign help to get elected to office, especially president of the United States, is guilty of treason. According to the Constitution, we have a government that is supposed to be representative of the American people, not foreign governments.

For the president-elect, and anyone of either party, to dismiss or minimize allegations of interference in our election process is wrong. It is also wrong to accept the word of a foreign computer hacker, while dismissing and insulting the joint findings of all our intelligence agencies.

Or perhaps Trump is more concerned about his own defense than he is about the defense of the country.

I grew up during the Cold War and remember both the constant fear of attack and the lives lost during various wars with communist countries trying to align themselves with Russia.

I’m concerned about the directions of ethics in our country when the president-elect sees fit to dismiss the seriousness of Russia deciding who will live in the White House while his supporters tell me to quit whining and get over it.

And contrary to what Trump accuses me and others of, I am not stupid or a fool.

This isn’t an expression of sour grapes or being a sore loser. It is a genuine concern for the sanctity of our election process and fear that our voting rights are being interfered with by a hostile foreign government.

It isn’t a Democratic or a Republican issue. It’s an American issue that should be considered seriously by anyone who values our freedom and our democracy.

The oath of office demands the president defend our Constitution, not dismiss efforts to rig the election.

If Trump isn’t willing to investigate and stop this blatant assault on our voting process and our democracy, then he should be investigated for treason and has no business being our president.