With Virginia’s election over, two things to think about

Glenn Youngkin, right, governor-elect of Virginia, speaks to members of the media as Ralph Northam, governor of Virginia, listens outside the Executive Mansion in Richmond on Nov. 4. (Carlos Bernate/Bloomberg News)

Regarding Karen Tumulty’s Nov. 4 Thursday Opinion column, “McAuliffe danced to Youngkin’s choreography”:

Many of the White women in Virginia whose votes assured Republican Glenn Youngkin’s gubernatorial victory seem to be more afraid of their children learning important facts of U.S. history — e.g., the enslavement of African people between 1619 and 1863 — than they are afraid of their children living under authoritarian, white-supremacist rule. Enslavement of Africans by some American Whites during that period of American history is not a product of critical race theory; it’s a documentable fact.

The goal of teaching factual history to our children should never be to make them feel bad, guilty or responsible for that history. But history is full of facts that can sadden us and our children. But knowing that history can also liberate, inspire and empower us to understand it and to choose to improve on it.

So, instead of running from the facts of history, banning insight-producing, beautifully written books and voting for smooth but deceitful politicians willing to lead them down the primrose path to autocracy, White women in Virginia who supported Mr. Youngkin because he said he would ban the teaching of critical race theory (which is not taught in K-12 schools and not necessary for teaching the basic facts of American history) might want to consider learning the facts of our history and allowing their children to learn them in school. They might be surprised at how liberating and empowering it can be to know the facts.

Patricia Ashby, Burlington, N.C.

I’m an independent who voted for Virginia Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin (R). Now that he and his party have picked up all three statewide offices and majority control of the House of Delegates, I hope Mr. Youngkin remembers what happened when the Democrats swept into power.

I believe all Virginians want to see better government than we have had these past four years. And if he agrees, he should start his transition by reaching out to the Democrats here in Virginia to find compromise.

There is no mandate unless someone wins more than 70 percent of the vote.

Charles J. Trachta Jr., Henrico, Va.