American society is getting more than a civics lesson at this time of the election debacle in Florida; we are also seeing firsthand (I hope) what happens in a democracy when millions of voters don’t even know (at least in depth) what has been going on in government and the economy during the past 20 years – except as rapid changes have impacted individual lives and well-being. Will a me-me upper middle class lose our democracy?

There will be no better time than now to reflect on whether we have a need to lock yet another barn door after another horse has been stolen – this horse being our domestic tranquility and economic well-being.

I raise the questions posed by presidential candidate Ralph Nader. His campaign contained a virtual “shopping list” of citizen failures that have allowed Wall Street and Corporate America to divide themselves between the Democratic and Republican parties – leaving voters at this stage of affairs to rubber-stamp actions taken by Congress and the White House. How many voters know that Congress recently passed legislation to bring into the country 600,000 skilled workers from around the world – to satisfy high-tech U.S. companies? These high-risk enterprises should train Americans for their needs, and not flood the American workplace with a new horde of strangers. What do you think, gentle readers?

Edmonds