History books have already been effected by the most outrageous turn of events in the last few years. What our great-great grandchildren read in their textbooks about the early 2000's will be something entirely different from what we read.
We saw from our grandparents to our parents generations the years of monumental men and women who changed the world. JFK, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Amelia Earhart, Jackie Robinson, Rosa Park, Andy Warhol and more . People who fought for equality like the Womens Liberation Front, gay rights, black rights and religious rights.
How is it then, after all this potential for progress, it feels as though we are still living the 1950s?
In 2008 the United States of America elected its first non-white president. Next week we could elect our first non-male president. What I don't understand is how when a black president is elected the public aggression towards blacks seems to increase. Does this mean aggression against women will also increase with a female president? It is sadly not that these aggressions are happening more frequently now or that things were better. It is that we are now talking about this from both sides.
My theory: having a political figure who stands for, or is a figure head for, something which is often a "hush" topic allows those who support these rights, and those who will fight against them, to speak up more. Having a black president meant we now had to, or were able to, talk about racial rights. It also meant that those against theserights were going to be part of the conversation.
In reality we were taught about progress but all I'm seeing is the same damn issues going backwards.
It was said by school teachers around the country earlier in 2016 that having Donald Trump on the political stage increased gender segregation in schools. It was okay to call girls, "pigs" "sluts" "fat" and more obscene terms towards those who were not mature enough and able to stand up for themselves. These young girls have yet to find their own voice. With Trump at the helm - I fear they never will.
"The Real World: 2016" television show can have it's final episode now as far as I'm concerned. November 8th sounds like a great day to really keep people guessing and move towards a "Fixer Upper" binge.
Yesterday, I voted for the first time in my adult life. Cheers to #adulting. I voted early for a candidate whom I never thought I would vote for. I voted outside of my political party and to make matters worse I voted for this person purely so that my own vote would go against the other and not because I actually believed in them. My stomach literally started to hurt as I exited City Hall and made the 20 minute walk home to reflect on what had just happened.
Now to back off of my own self-pity. My vote, my 1 non-swing state vote, is not the only vote that will be casted this way.
Young Americans are taught going into their first election that you will not agree with everything your candidate stands for, says, does, etc. However 2016, as we all know, will be different. This year, instead of voting for the candidate with whom you agree most with, Americans will be voting against the candidate with whom they disagree with most.
What is going on?
To get into the politics of it all might be a bit absurd at this point. It will be fasinating though which pieces of this election will be picked up for the history books. They could talk about how The Donald was able to sway so many voters early in his campaign or how the rest of America was not concerned about him till it was too late. They could also talk about the email talk in Clintons private server or how the FBI was able to sway voters days before the election. Maybe they will discuss the value of third party candidates and the electoral college.
All I know is these books are being written right at this very moment. I'm not sure if I want to see what will come next. Is it November 9th yet?
