Dear 2016 Presidential Candidates,
It is January when I am writing this letter, a little under 1 year until our nation votes on the 45th President of the United States.
My name is Catriona Garry. I'm 19 years old, and I'm currently a freshman at Lasell College in Newton, Massachusetts. This November, two very important things are happening. The first, my 20th birthday. The second, the presidential election. I am calling my upcoming birthday important because I will have been on this earth, in this country, for 20 years. I know most people consider your 21st birthday more memorable and notorious than your 20th, but since I have no interest in hitting up the clubs next year, my 20th birthday is huge in my perspective.
At 18 years old, I was no longer a minor, but an adult in the eyes of the law. I didn't feel any different than when I was 17 (except that I could sign my own permission slips for school). But, as I get closer to turning 20 years old, I feel much more different than I did two years ago. The reason being? Life gave me a nice slap in the face, filled with future responsibilities and looming student debt.
Reality hits us all at some point in our lives. Most often than not, it's nice to feel the sting sooner than later. That way, you plan for the road ahead. That is where you all come in. One of you will be my, along with every other U.S. citizen's, near future. One of you will be inaugurated into office around this time in 2017. You will take on the responsibility of being our country's commander in chief, as well as our leader and example to the rest of the world. I gotta say, that is some intense responsibilities right there, and I haven't even delved into a fourth of your overall job description.
At this moment in time, there is about 3 major Democratic candidates and 12 major Republican candidates. I'll put it out there: I am a Democrat. I plan to vote for the Democratic candidate. But I understand that there is strong opposition towards the Democratic Party, and truth be told, that's fine. As Winston Churchill once said, "You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life." You all stand up for your values and your beliefs. Why else would you spend so much time in politics?
What I am trying to get to is this: Whoever among you all is elected as the 45th President of this great nation, remember that America consists of a government of the people, by the people, for the people. No matter your true intentions, you have been elected by the citizens to be their voice in Washington. That is your only purpose as President.
It is sad, though, that many people of the U.S. are ignorant to the true happenings in our capital. I took International Relations in my senior year of high school and I will never forget the lessons I have learned from my teacher and from other students. It makes me wonder how a beautiful country that is America, founded on the iconic principles of freedoms and equality, has been turned into a nation plagued by ineffective health care, increasing student debt, growing corporate involvement within our government systems, gender inequality, racial tension, gun violence, and many more issues? We are the United States of America, the land of the free and the home of the brave. It is time for you to bring us back to that state of union created by our founding fathers 239 years before us.
I want to be able to say that I'm a proud American, and mean it. I want to be able to enjoy the next 3 years of college and not have to worry about the financial loans I will face when I graduate. I want to continue taking my daily medications and seeing my doctors every few months for check ups without the fear of my insurance rejecting coverage. I want my dad, who works nearly everyday starting at 5am, to be able to retire in the next 10-15 years, because at the rate my parent's mortgages and taxes are increasing, most likely my father won't be able to retire for another 20-25 years. I want my future children, if I decide to have kids, not be restricted to specific gender roles, and for my daughter to be paid the same as her counterpart for the same level of work.
The saddest part of it all is that none of you know how that feels, at least not how it feels for an almost 20 year old living in the year 2016.
All in all, get your crap together, presidential candidates (sorry, I'm quite blunt). Don't make promises you can't keep, but keep the promises you can make. I look forward to seeing one of you as my future president this time next year. Until then, stay gold.
Sincerely,
Catriona Garry
