A plea to the Electoral College: Dump Trump

LETTERS LETTERS@USATODAY.COM

As a young American who’s concerned for the future of my country, I’m writing to ask the Electoral College to consider voting against President-elect Donald Trump — whether it’s for another Republican candidate or for Hillary Clinton.

I’m one of millions of Americans with serious concerns about Trump: not simply because I disagree with him, but because his behavior indicates that he lacks respect for our foundational principles.

In his ignorance of political protocol (down to an issue so basic as White House staffing), his unprecedented financial conflicts of interest, and his admiration for the dictatorship of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump has repeatedly demonstrated that he has little interest in the traditions of American governance. Frustration with business-as-usual is respectable; disdain for the hard-won structures of our democracy is not.

Also, reasonable citizens can agree that it is not a good sign when the president-elect’s choice of advisers is praised by the leadership of the Ku Klux Klan. Trump’s proposed Cabinet is an affront to a country that was founded on the rights of humanity.

Please understand that my intent in writing to you, the Electoral College, is not to stump for a pet candidate. Rather, I write to ask that you act on Alexander Hamilton’s words in the Federalist Papers — words that I’m sure are much on your minds already — when you cast your ballot.

As the citizens “most capable of analyzing the qualities adapted to the station” of the presidency — as the last rampart between the Oval Office and “cabal, intrigue and corruption” — please take a conscientious stand against Trump, and vote for any other candidate.

We thank you for your time and your service. Kristin Nelson Ann Arbor, Mich.