Tribune editorial staff

The people of Lawrence County have spoken. The ballots are counted - at least unofficially - and the celebrations are winding down.

Now, it is time to begin healing the emotional wounds that our political process can sometimes cause. Too often, as the election signs come down, voters and political supporters let anger, bitterness, revenge and perhaps a little I-told-you-so attitude get in the way of seeing what a beautiful thing our election process is.

Think about it. Even though voter turnout on Tuesday was fairly low - 37.7 percent of the registered voters in Lawrence County - thousands of diverse residents came together to select their leaders. The fact that our system has worked, and worked well, for more than two centuries proves our forefathers created a unique, special system.

In the grand scheme of things, ending a democratic election process with a few hurt feelings is a small price to pay.

Unfortunately in small towns and villages, those pains cut to the quick and the scars they leave behind can be quite large.

What's interesting is that by simply swallowing a little pride, by extending the proverbial olive branch, those feelings can melt away.

If your preferred candidate came up a few votes short on Tuesday night, realize that regardless of how you felt during the election, the healing must begin.

Those candidates who won have rightfully earned their place in office. They now should support all citizens in the districts in which they represent - not just the ones who voted for them.

And voters need to realize that the candidates deserve their respect and support. If bitterness forces citizens to stand in the wings and point fingers and blame rather than getting involved and supporting the administration, our community will suffer.

Lawrence County is not a particularly wealthy county. We are not so well off that we can simply ignore one another, stay politically divided and bury our heads in the sand until the next election. No, Lawrence County needs to work together and focus on the common goal of making our community an even better place to live, work and raise families.

What a better time to remember that purpose than the day after an election when our differences may seem to outweigh our similarities.