When I was in high school, my friends and I would often talk about new and funny videos we had seen on Youtube, one in particular called Epic Rap Battles of History (ERB), a video series that came out during my junior year. This series features two or more people from the past or present (or even a fictional character or two) who have similar professions or claims to fame in a satirical battle of wits and humor. The first ever ERB video that came out was John Lennon vs Bill O'Reilly. Since then, there have been many other battles, including Romeo and Juliet vs Bonnie and Clyde, Shakespeare vs Doctor Suess, J.R.R. Tolkein vs. George R.R. Martin, and, easily one of the most famous battles, Darth Vader vs Adolf Hitler. They even released an election video in 2012 pitting Mitt Romney against President Barack Obama (with a surprise appearance by Abraham Lincoln at the end, who arrives via a bald eagle to set them both straight). This year, for the 2016 presidential election, ERB recently released another video, pitting the presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Disclaimer: These videos do contain swearing and other inappropriate comments/gestures, so viewer discretion is advised.
After watching this year's ERB election video, I realized that it was a pretty accurate summary of how the election season went: more mudslinging and bashing the other candidate than actual politics, scandals surrounding both candidates, and general foolishness.
While watching the debates or even just listening to either candidate, it's hard not to believe that we've "heard more thoughtful discussion up in TMZ" as the video mentions. That's pretty sad, disheartening even.
Is this really the best America can do now? Is this really what politics has come to? I've never been particularly interested in politics, but I'd still like to hear the candidates' actual plans for improving this country instead of hearing all the flaws about the candidate's opponent.
The phrase "united, we stand" should apply to this country, but after this election season, it's clear that it doesn't. As Eminem said in "White America," it's more like the "divided states of embarrassment." For whatever reason, this election has seemed to divide this country more than any other (at least any other that I've been alive for). This election's "got brother blockin' brother on their Facebook feed" among other things. It's like you're an enemy to your fellow American citizen if you're voting for the other candidate. Why? What happened to respecting each other's opinion instead of engaging in "some sorta Twitter civil war" or other heated social media battle? What's even worse is that the battles have extended beyond parodies and social media; buildings have even been vandalized in the name of a candidate during this election season. It's almost terrifying to go to the polls, too, out of fear of "poll monitors." I know that people tend to have strong opinions of their Commander-in-Chief, but this has gone too far.
"What are the American people gonna Yankee Doodle do" on the 8th? Only one of these candidates can win, so what will people do when their candidate loses? Since a lot of hatred, disgust, and anger has surfaced during this election season, it's highly unlikely that it will just disappear. We're kinda stuck with it now, and that's what scares me.
Yes, "the [stakes] on the 8th are great," but, to me, the ones after the 8th are greater. Regardless of who sits in the Oval Office next, "we, the people" have to take responsibility for ourselves and our country by putting aside our differences and become "Stronger Together" to "Make America Great Again." Fighting amongst ourselves won't solve anything, and we as a country need to get to the point where we can have differences in opinion without it leading to heated arguments, violence, and even more division. Only then can this country once again be "of the people, by the people, [and] for the people."
