Stress has always been connected with elections. However, this time stress is related less to the results of the presidential election and more to challenges posed to the American character (“Are colleges’ responses to post-election stress healthy or harmful?” Nov. 14).
What do the results say about who we are? What we believe, our ideals and values? Here, presidential character, our national, international character, has been exposed and challenged. The words, actions, outcomes, associated with the election — including demonizing, accusing, distorting, humiliating — require colleges to actively, intentionally engage and enable students and others to look beyond the superficial election outcome.
Yes, this presidential election has created undue, unprecedented stress. Is it unhealthy to wrestle with questions of who we are or is this what America stands for? I think not. Thank you, colleges, for being concerned about our health.
— Michael Jothen, Phoenix
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