"Politics? Who cares!?" For most of us growing up in this generation, the political realm has never been one to carry much interest. In casual conversation, even the small minority who pay attention to the news don't want to be the ones who bring up that topic to other people--not just because most people wouldn't be able to carry a conversation about it, but because of the amount of hostility such topics can create--even among the closest of friends. Why is that?
Shortly after our great country had been founded, ushered in by such amazing men as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington, the latter of the three gave his farewell address, having served as the nation's first President. His speech consisted of great optimism, accomplishment, and hope for the future. But towards the end, he left a warning for the American people of the time: "The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism." (Ahh...if only people spoke or wrote in such a manner nowadays).
What was he saying exactly? He warns those listening, and all those who would follow, of the dangers of separate political factions. He warns of men (and later, women) seeking to promote their own self-interests over those of the country they claim to represent as a whole. How true this warning rings in the world of politics today, especially with such a dramatic election approaching later this year.
The two most well-known parties in the race, Republicans and Democrats, are the two who have existed for as long as any of us can remember. Each cycle, we narrow it down to two people, battling it out, trying to prove who is the better candidate to lead the nation. In the process, however, insults are made, attacks are hurled, and reputations are shattered. Those who are eventually eliminated from the race walk away with their tail between their legs. Even the winner has no shortage of scars. Seeing these debates, campaign advertisements, and perpetual news articles certainly makes one begin to understand exactly why so few people are interested in discussing such topics. Feelings become personal: how a person feels about the candidate as a person, what gender or ethnicity they are, what background they come from. All of these subcategories should certainly be taken into account, but at what point do we remember that this is a race of policy, not of personality?
And so, the independent has arisen. Every day, more and more young people register as neutral on their ballots. No one can make up their mind about which way they lean, either because they don't have a damn clue what they're voting for, or because they have no idea WHO they're voting for. With thousands of perspectives being thrown into the mix on who the "best" candidate should be, it has become nearly impossible to make a confident decision. Trump is firm on immigration and a fiercely capitalistic economy, but lacks on foreign policy and diplomatic relations. Hillary has had loads of experience in the political realm, but has been subject to a variety of recent inquisitions as to the extent of her moral character. And Cruz--is he Canadian? Is he American? Who knows. Let's not even get started on Bernie Sanders.
It's not even about the issues anymore. It's about the awfulness of a certain candidate's comb-over, or which color pantsuit a certain candidate decided to wear to the debate. Yes, these are the hot topics of the 21st century. Talk about first-world problems...
As a result, We The People are left in a permanent state of dormancy and confusion, not wanting to move too far left or too far right.
At what point will someone rise up and say, "Enough of this! I don't want to elect a Republican. I don't want to elect a Democrat. I want to elect an American!" At what point will someone stand up and admit that they are 100 percent human, and therefore have certainly made mistakes in the past. When will someone resist the tearing down of their constituents in order to build themselves up. We've seen the same trend for hundreds of years, and time and time again, we've seen rises and declines. It doesn't work, and for every person who is pleased with the way things are, three more are left hurt and discouraged. "We are in trouble." "Someone has to do something." These statements are made on television every single day, and yet here we are, with a national debt in the tank, an unemployment rate for those aged 16 years and older at around 40 percent, and a massive overpopulation problem, among numerous other issues. It's time to forget the pettiness of politics, to end the ever-increasing confusion of us Americans, and to remember that those we elect are not untouchable, but just regular people, like you and me.
American independence is perhaps this country's most treasured tenet, but only if it means we stand together within, united in an effort to make ALL things, and ALL people, better. We are not merely just red states or blue states. Rather, every state should be Red, White, AND Blue. Together, we are Americans. And together, we must remain.
