Shelter Island Reporter Editorials: Democracy wins

One campaign said that democracy was on the ballot, the other campaign, looking at pre-election polls, forecast that its opponent was going to rig the election.

Democracy was on the ballot, nothing was rigged, and democracy won.

An historic turnout in every part of the country, through early in-person voting and mailed ballots and Election Day voting, has astonished every election expert and historian who has weighed in.

The long, switchback lines, with people standing, waiting, for hours, should give heart to all who have weathered a vicious presidential campaign that we have all witnessed. The election of 2020 says loudly that, yes, Americans have not given up, have exercised their franchise to participate in a society dedicated to democracy.

This will be remembered long after the shouting has died down, and in fact will be discussed for decades, as the moment when American voters decided that they could get up, get out and play a part in the history of their times.

5K Triumph

Another cause for celebration is the persistence of Islanders to keep the great autumn sporting event and fundraiser, the Shelter Island 5K, alive and on track.

Race Director Mary Ellen Adipietro, along with marketing coordinator Julie O’Neill-Bliss, and their team — which is committed to raising money to help find a cure for women’s cancers — kept the race alive through the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic (see story, page 29).

Taking the race virtual, and giving participants several options to run it on their own and verify their times, made the race a rousing success.

As always, sponsorships of teams and individuals brought in money to help sustain the North Fork Breast Health Coalition, The Coalition for Women’s Cancers at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital and Lucia’s Angels — a nonprofit that helps women and families with late-stage women’s cancers and raises money from sales of raffle tickets.

A special shout out goes to Linda Zavatto, who is on course to exceed her $9,000 fundraising record.

To Mary Ellen and Julie, our hats are off to you for your perseverance and optimism that kept one of the Island’s signature events alive, and will bring comfort to families facing difficult times ahead.