Take a deep breath. Shake it out. It’s going to be OK.

Do some yoga. Have a drink. Take a walk, listen to some music. Do whatever you need to minimize the worry and fear that something terrible is about to happen, even if that means avoiding heated discussions with friends and family and the landmine that Facebook and other social media have become. You can return after Nov. 9.

Our nation is divided, we know. But that doesn’t mean we have to be consumed by the division.

Every election is stressful to some degree, for voters as well as candidates and political operatives, and this one seems angrier and meaner to many observers. But we’ll get past it, as we’ve always done.

Locally, tensions were raised by the firebombing of the Orange County GOP headquarters last weekend. No American should ever tolerate such crimes.

But if the intent of the Hillsborough bombing was to terrorize Republicans or foster more division among us all, it failed. North Carolinian Republicans and Democrats pulled together afterward to tell the world, “This is not us.”

We need to keep that unity in mind at the polls.

In the wake of Donald Trump’s claims that the election will be “rigged” — an impossibility, given its decentralized nature, and a claim discredited by conservative and liberal authorities alike, including Trump’s running mate — some have concluded that they need to “watch the polls.”

That’s fine, as long as such “watching” is not violent or confrontational. We urge poll watchers: Don’t interfere with anyone’s vote. Don’t jump to conclusions and don’t take actions based on your limited perspective. If you think you see something questionable, tell an official.

We urge those wary of poll watchers — let them watch. If you think someone is trying to prevent you from voting, tell an official.

Whoever becomes our next president, a great many citizens will dislike the result. But it won’t be the end of the world, literally or otherwise. The United States is founded on a Constitution that prevents the worst excesses of power. Our form of government comes with checks and balances that will keep our course straight, as it has for 240 years.

A nation of strong, assertive people, we want things to go our way. But no election delivers everything that any political faction wants.

Still, life goes on. On Nov. 9, we’ll pick up and go to work, go to school, do our jobs, feed our families and appreciate the benefits of living in this wonderful, free country. We’ll all still be Americans. And with hope, we’ll find ways to walk ourselves back, to encourage more respect for our variant views. That’s how we can keep the nation strong.

North Carolinians are known for being calm and sane. In an election that may be chaotic in some quarters, let’s say, on Nov. 9, that we did it right. Let’s keep that reputation true.

— The Winston-Salem Journal

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