Democrats and Republicans must continue to support the Harris-Walz coalition because Trump is incompetent

Echo opinion letter published in The New York Times: To the Editor:

The aftermath of the Trump election reminds me of my breast cancer diagnosis in 1997. I was a divorced mother of three young girls, and friends marveled at my optimism. 

Although I was scared and depressed, I held onto hope — even though I faced surgery, chemotherapy and radiation — because what choice did I have?

In much the same way, today we have no choice but to stay engaged. The events in my lifetime seemed to be insurmountable. I protested against the Vietnam War, for civil rights, for voting rights, for abortion rights and even for the right of girls to wear pants at my high school. Much of what appeared to be unattainable actually came to be.

The world has at times appeared out of control, with progress unattainable and democracy teetering. It is my hope that every sad, disillusioned American out there will hold onto the fact that the Harris-Walz team built a coalition of millions. That coalition is still out there.

But I do fear that people, especially our young people, will become complacent, resigned to what seems overwhelming, and will stop caring. Care we must. We must stay engaged — fight the misinformation that got us here and stay involved.

From Susan Berger in Highland Park, Illinois