As of Wednesday afternoon, the outcome of the 2020 presidential election was still unknown and it could be that way for days to come.

In a way, this editorial is the journalistic equivalent of Schrodinger’s Cat. For those unfamiliar with the 1935 philosophical exercise devised by Austrian-Irish physicist Erwin Schrödinger, the concept boils down to a logical paradox – where something both is and is not, simultaneously. In the universe of this piece, at the moment, Joe Biden has both won and lost the presidency. Donald Trump has won reelection, lost it, or has launched a campaign to dispute the election results that didn’t go in his favor.

No matter what winds up being the answer, it is our utmost hope that regardless of the outcome of this election, we will still find ourselves to be part of a community to be proud of – one that helps its neighbor, looks for the best in people and seeks not any numerous reasons to be fearful of the world around them, but to rejoice and find happiness in each advancing day.

Whether you’re voting for Biden or Trump, we sincerely hope that the past four years have enabled you to prioritize what is important to you, and what is important to you as a resident of a community and a citizen of this country. Four years ago, something truly unexpected took place and, for better or worse, we find ourselves once again at a crossroads.

We hope that the past four years have provided context and meaningful clarity to make that decision. We hope it has shown you clearly what role a government should have in your life – as a protector, as a silent purveyor of life-saving essentials, as a safety net when economic hard times rain down on you unexpectedly and through no fault of your own. Hopefully, they have provided context on how important it is to become involved, locally or otherwise, in your representative democracy.

Throughout the entirety of the past four years, Beacon Communications has been here to try and provide you the real news from your home communities. We have born the barbs of an increasingly hostile online community that no longer trusts news that disagrees with their beliefs, and we have tried to provide crucial updates regarding an unprecedented health crisis that has uprooted all of our lives. We will continue to do so, no matter who sits in the White House or City Hall.

No matter who wins, we all need to face the reality that this country has a lot of healing to do, and not just in the context of our economic situation brought on by COVID. Relations between our people, our police, our elected officials, our own families, have been degrading day by day, and we must reverse the trend. Life in a pandemic should have taught all of us by now that we cannot succeed without the support of one another. We must display a willingness to listen and learn over the reactionary feeling to recede and point fingers.

We do not know what path we will find ourselves on when this article runs, but we hope with all our might it will be one heading towards a beacon of kindness, patience and togetherness rather than the dark division we’ve seen in recent years.