George Rand's recent letter bemoans the fact that the Democrats were defeated in the election. Al Gore and the "conscience" of the Senate, Joe Lieberman will have to try again another day. Yes, the popular vote was 350,000 but Article II. Section I of the Constitution clearly establishes the Electoral College by which a candidate finally wins or loses. This Article has served our nation well. Populations in major states, i.e., New York, Pennsylvania, California, Illinois, Ohio, etc. have increased dramatically. These states have most of the Electoral College votes. There would be no need for candidates to run in the smaller states with smaller Electoral College votes, thus depriving these voters of representation.

Counting Florida's votes in the disputed counties, again, again and then again was an exhaustive process. Absentee ballots, undervotes, overvotes, chads, dimpled chads, hanging chads, subjective interpretation, misinterpretation, different standards, were all in the mix. Some of the best legal minds representing Bush and Gore argued their cases dissecting the law to the extreme. Justices in the lower courts of both parties on the bench deliberated and rendered their decisions. The Supreme Court appointed by presidents of both parties made their decisions based on the facts and the law as they have done in other controversial issues. Katherine Harris, Florida's Secretary of State used her discretion as mandated by law to set deadlines and was maligned mercilessly by the opposition.

George Rand served honorably in World War II and it must have grieved him to see this nation's cherished justice system, its institutions, its symbols and values so thoroughly trashed by the Clinton Administration that included Al Gore. Mr. Rand's medals were awarded in another era when truth and honor meant something. His grandchildren need to be proud of him for his service and what those medals stood for. In the here and now, the fight to the finish election demonstrated how strong the Constitution and our people are. Philosophies may differ, but we are one people with the same basic needs and it is hoped that the new administration will sweep clean all the nastiness of the last eight years.

Katherine Aliferis