This year, 2016, is a Presidential election year. Coverage about candidates has been a popular topic for months now. Fox News and CNN have been regular programming at my house, so I try to stay informed. On nights when not much was going on, I sat with my family and watched the Democratic and Republican debates, as well as read news articles and a few interviews. I am by no means the most informed person out there, but I have been trying to better myself.
From my experience, most adults assume I am uninformed and do not care about voting because I am a millennial. I was at a birthday dinner for my godmother and a few of the adults started talking politics. This was during the height of Donald Trump’s media coverage. I interjected my thoughts about candidates and policies and everyone looked at me like I had two heads. After the conversation, one of the women, who did not have the exact same views as me, said it was refreshing that some young people do care about the issues and are informed. I do not think she intended for this comment to sound as condescending as it felt at the time. Nevertheless, it is a stigma of younger generations and millennials are no exception.
My group of friends fall on different parts of the spectrum. Some are registered, while others are not. Some have no intention of voting, while others will, but most are informed on some level. They are aware of the candidates particularly Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton are most talked about. Some of the big issues in the election such as, ISIS and the economy have been discussed at length. It saddens me that some do not care at all and have no intention of voting. I think voting is a right that we should exercise, especially when others around the world do not have it. Not to mention almost everyone in the U.S. did not always have the right to vote. Some may say, “I don’t like anyone running”, or “My vote won’t count”, but, in my opinion, these responses are unacceptable. The fact that you don’t like anyone running is nothing more than a cop out. There has to be someone you would not completely mind if they became president. As far as thinking your vote does not matter; it does. Every vote counts and you should use your voice to express what you want out of your country. Nothing is ever going to change with that attitude. As my mother always told my father and I, “If you don’t vote, you don’t have the right to complain.” Your vote can make a difference.
As millennials, and especially as citizens of the United States of America, we need to exercise our right to vote. There are serious issues going on in this world and we need to look out for our future. This election can be a turning point in our history.
