The election is finally over by B. T.

[Tim Lintz]

The election is finally over. The votes have been counted and more importantly the phone calls have stopped.

There has been a lot of discussion about the meaning of the results. The obvious answer is that the people do not like the direction our country is heading. If they did, they had the opportunity to grant one party control of all 3 branches of government. The results are most likely due to the electorate becoming uncomfortable with the extent to which the political direction has swung to the left.

Now there are calls for cooperation and to "extend a hand across the aisle", and to eliminate "gridlock". We must remember that the system is functioning as designed. Different branches of government and different political parties serve as a check against each other.

Gridlock is not necessarily a bad thing if it means that our elected representatives are following a mandate from the people and putting a stop to damaging policies or preventing the appointment of extremist radicals to high office. If your car is going to go over a cliff you put on the brakes, you don't complain that you are not going fast enough.

One major issue facing us is illegal immigration. The executive branch has said they may unilaterally enact some kind of amnesty before the end of the year. This is at least tactically understandable since they know this action would provide them with a permanent Democrat voting bloc. Is this what they mean by a hand across the aisle? Maybe to slap you on the side of your head?

The public is overwhelmingly against any form of amnesty. Its kind of funny how the party with Democratic in their name ignores the will of the people when its politically convenient and then saddles us with polices that benefit a handful of elites.

What I don't understand is why some establishment Republicans have also been pushing amnesty. Why are they willing to commit political and national suicide by rewarding illegal invaders? Granting amnesty would be the end of the Republicans as a national political party. Maybe there are some rewards waiting once they leave office. A pity they would destroy their party for whatever personal gain they might receive.

I hope our newly elected Senators and Representatives will do everything in their power to put our country back on track or at least put a stop to what has been a series of humiliating foreign policy failures and unconstitutional domestic policy abuses.

Hopefully the new Republican Congress doesn't squander the opportunity to change direction and start looking out for the best interests of our country.

It seems that from Bengazi to Ebola we have adopted the stance of America last. Perhaps its time to start watching out for our own country and its interests and start thinking of America first.