Monday morning 538 individuals from across the country will meetin their respective states to conduct the final vote on thePresident and Vice President of the United States. They will bringto an end the excruciating, but historical, election process wehave witnessed since November.

Hopefully, without controversy those electors will cast theirballots as pledged, and George W. Bush will officially become the43rd President on Jan. 20, 2001.

Here in Mississippi, our seven electors will meet at 10 a.m. inthe Old Supreme Court Chamber in the State Capitol to cast theirvotes for Gov. Bush.

It has been a trying and frustrating time in our nation.However, it has also been a time in which we, as Americans, havelearned how important a single vote can be. It has been a time inwhich we’ve learned the importance of being involved in ourpolitical process, and we’ve learned the danger of voter apathy.Hopefully, we have learned the importance of having an educatedelectorate that understands the issues and takes responsibility tounderstand the voting process.

Yes, Al Gore got the most votes, but because of the wisdom ofour forefathers, it is not the popular vote that decides thePresidential race. In their wisdom they understood the variety ofopinions the different regions of this vast country produce. Theyunderstood the need for each region to speak equally.

Yes, there is frustration by Gore supporters. Many feel he wasthe rightful winner. Despite his own frustration, Gore has accepteddefeat and is ready to move the country forward. Hopefully, hissupporters will follow his lead.

The silver lining in all of this is that due to the lack of amandate and the almost evenly-divided House and Senate, bothextremes in the party will have to find a way to lead fromconsensus. Both the liberals and conservatives will be forced tomove to the center where common sense prevails and the bestinterest of every American exists.

George W. Bush calls himself a compassionate conservative, onewho understands both sides of an issue. If Democrats andRepublicans alike will unite behind his leadership, we, as acountry, can continue to grow and prosper. The alternative is morefrustration and anger, which will bring about nothing butstagnation and disruption.