<p>Annette Lathrop</p>

Listen carefully and you might hear a collective sigh of relief from across the county; the 2012 elections are over. Toss-up states, shifting polls, changing momentum, all political jargon, plus the irritating phone calls and TV ads gone. Whats left is a country, deeply divided.

Divided and yet theres majority agreement on basic principles. Its time for those elected to do their jobs, tackle difficult problems, make tough decisions and act in cooperation to break Washingtons deadlock. Its time to stop operating with partisan group think as well as weighing each vote with an eye toward re-election. We are sick of political spin.

While the country has been focused on political debate, the calendar quietly moved; its November. Recent snowstorms remind residents in Wallowa County of the changing season. For hunters, its elk season and with the election past, we are all free to enjoy the months holidays Veterans Day and Thanksgiving.

The Armistice was signed on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month, 1918. Once signed, this agreement halted the conflict between the Germans and the Allies, peace after years of war conditions. The Treaty of Versailles, ending the war, would not be signed for another six months.

Armistice Day commemorated the end of fighting as well as honored those Armed Forces lost during WWI. Later changed to Veterans Day and still celebrated on Nov. 11 Americans remember all military heroes who have given their all protecting our freedom. As Abraham Lincoln eloquently stated, It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

The 1918 Armistice ended conflict in Europe. With over 5 million dead, millions of lives destroyed, countries marred by hundreds of miles of trenches and untold numbers of bomb craters, healing would take years.

Like Europe in 1918, our country is war-torn and weary. The destruction here, though not visible as in post-WWI, is real and deep. The battle for political power and control has been raging for years with mounting collateral damage. There has been no cessation of hostilities between elections and a continually building intensity.

Writing this pre-November 6th, I have no idea of the election outcomes. But this I know: No matter who wins, we need leaders who will make bringing Americans together a top priority. We need to begin the healing process.

There are things on which we can agree. Americans yearn for a returning strong, vibrant economy and hunger for a legal system, rooted in the Constitution, which works. A judicial system no longer tilted toward special interests. We want to be energy independent and have our social security system solvent for our lifetime as well as for our childrens. With bipartisan cooperation, achieving these goals is possible. It would, however, require implementing Reagans philosophy Theres no limit to what you can accomplish if you dont care who gets the credit.

There will be a window of opportunity for elected officials to come together for meaningful compromise. How this time is used will most likely set the stage for the coming administration. Im convinced most will support bipartisan agreements where both sides participate in give-and-take, as long as agreements reached are within the boundaries of personal principles.

As thoughts of the election become memories, well celebrate Thanksgiving. We have so much for which to be thankful. America largely takes for granted blessings from our Creator. We enjoy freedoms found no other place in the world. Our material wealth makes the very poorest of us rich by the standards of so many countries. Opportunities and mobility available to us are found nowhere else on this planet. And of course, we can be thankful the next election is months away.

Annette Lathrop is currently president of Wallowa County Republicans.