I never thought Trump would go quietly if the vote didn't fall in his favor, but I also know that what he and his Congressional supporters are doing is going to create rifts in this country that will resist any effort Biden could put together to try and unite us. We've already seen the rampant misinformation that social media allows to spread. We've seen Senators like Lindsey Graham and House Reps like Kevin McCarthy not just toe the party line but dance across it spewing old and new lies like weird conspiracy fountains. Chuck Schumer is also no prize in this area. And then there's the Q-Anon nonsense; don't even get me started on that.

What is abundantly clear is that not only will people vote against their self-interests, but they will choose to amplify the ugliest sides of politics and fight vigorously against anyone who doesn't believe as they do. The memes and catchphrases are already starting that Biden is "not their president," meaning that they will continue trying to claim votes were made illegally or post the burned ballot photos being circulated as proof that the votes were rigged. That was a lie by the way, they were sample ballots being burned, as evidenced by no voter barcodes appearing on them.

Newsflash: shortly after a claim is made there are an army of fact-checkers out there that deem it true or false. Facts are not always easily found, but these people know their business and their reputation is at stake. They have no reason to skew to either side; they are looking for the actual story behind the story. Snopes and Daniel Dale are two of my favorite, thorough sources, and they also list half-truths and explain how they came to their judgments.

So please, Democrat, Republican, Independent, or apolitical, go to a generally trusted source(s) and find out where the truth is in relation to a statement. When that image, video, tweet, or article appears that makes your heart leap into your throat or stokes your gut anger at an outrage you're seeing, follow up. Who publishes it, and why is this news? Is it in context? Is it a doctored video or faked one? We are a better country than this. Please prove it.