Friends no longer share my values QUASHING VOTES

I’ve long respected and valued my many friends with diverse political views. I’ve kept in mind that we share similar ultimate aspirations, but have different ideas about how to achieve our shared goals.

Lately, that’s not how I’m feeling.

Seeing people challenge election results that have been validated by thousands of election officials of every political persuasion and through their elected state representatives, further validated by dozens of courts, including those with judges appointed by President Trump, and having not a scintilla of evidence of fraud that could have affected the outcome is a different story.

Those who continue to spread conspiracy theories that betray the most basic tenets of truth and legitimacy in forum after forum without concern for the consequences of their actions are not people who share the values I hold dear.

Those are people actively seeking to undermine democracy itself and the tools we have

(the best in the world despite the opportunities for improvement) to ensure free and fair elections.

Those are people who would knowingly deprive millions of our neighbors of their right to live in a nation that aspires toward equality, in which the majority vote decides the outcome of elections, where we come together as Americans with common purpose and destiny, whether we win or lose.

Those who would destroy our nation’s most fundamental principles and purpose to achieve their goals through bullying or support for cowardly, self-serving bullies, are not simply people I disagree with, but people who are deliberately trying to harm me, my home, my family and the future of those I love.

Those are not actions I respect and value. Those goals are not my goals.

Those people are trying to steal my freedom, my future.

They are not my friends.

– Seth Eisenberg, Miami

Re the Jan. 12 story “Florida lawmaker seeks to overturn cruise limits passed by Key West voters:” No one should be surprised that Republican state Sen. Jim Boyd would introduce this legislation. This is simply another terrible example of the Republican Party’s opposition to democracy.

How in the name of everything this country stands for, can this person believe it is okay to nullify the votes of Key West residents?

In the past few months, we have seen almost every elected Republican try to destroy our democracy by attempting to nullify the 80-plus million votes for President-elect Joe Biden, including Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, and Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart and Carlos Gimenez.

When will we finally learn that to save our country, these people must be voted out of office?

There are conservatives who also revere our country — just not these Republicans.

– Leon Kellner,

Coral Gables