It’s decision time on November 3

In a couple of days, the American people will be going to the polls in what is to be the most important and consequential election in US history. Voters from both political parties and independents are weighing down their choice between re-electing President Donald Trump or taking a fresh leadership under former Vice President Joe Biden. COVID-19, the economy, law and order, and healthcare are the defining issues that shape the results of this election. Not that the other issues such as immigration, domestic security, and international relations are less important but the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic and how it affects the daily lives of Americans --from losing a loved one, getting infected themselves, the threat of more lockdowns, losing their jobs and school closings-- are by far the most important significant considerations for an American voter this November 3.

Speaking of immigration, it is surprising that this hot-button and contentious issue has not received due attention. What is ironic is that surveys show Mr. Trump garnering a high level of support among Hispanics and Latino voters while Mr. Biden is lagging in what is supposed to be a traditionally reliable voting bloc for Democrats. It can only be inferred that jobs and the economy could be the bottom line for Hispanics who have seen rising wages and more available jobs before the pandemic crisis hit. As a continuing matter, the Trump administration if given another four more years, would not halt in enacting policies that limit or restrict immigration, finish the border wall and put the American worker first. Mr. Biden, on the other hand has expressed his willingness to provide a pathway for citizenship for all undocumented immigrants in the US, undo all immigration policies under Mr. Trump and discontinue building the border wall.

As with the rest of the world, I will be watching closely come election night as who will eventually win. With the election this close, that will be a very, very long night.

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The accident involving a bus and an emergency ambulance resulting to injuries of its passengers is an unfortunate but a preventable incident. As I have written in this column several years ago, there must be a law mandating that all vehicles, when hearing a siren from an ambulance, fire truck or a law enforcement vehicle, even if their drivers have not yet seen where the ambulance is heading, should immediately stop at the right side of the road. It doesn’t matter if the emergency vehicle is on the opposite road, everyone must stop in order to give it the right of way. As it is responding to an emergency, it has all the right to use the road it deems proper even to the point of violating regular traffic rules such as running a red light or traversing the opposite lane of a one-way street.