The 2016 Presidential election is right around the corner, and for most of the millennial voters, it’s our first chance to really get a say in the outcome of an election of this magnitude. Everyone’s news feed has been blowing up with requests to “feel the Bern” and “make America great again.” I’m not here to say which side is right and which side is wrong.
All I know is a lot of what we’ve seen over the past year has been targeted at our younger generation and how to get our vote. Of course I have my own views on what I think is right and wrong, but what I really wanted was to be able to make an informed decision when I cast my vote. And even more than that, I hope that everyone else tries to make that effort too.
In my own attempt to learn about the issues, I sat down on a Sunday afternoon to watch the most recent Republican and Democratic debates. With a Pepsi, a bag of chips and my computer all set up with the debates ready to go, I started a process that I knew would probably cause my blood pressure to spike several times.
I can tell you that what I found was pretty interesting. I watched a group of Republicans whose debate was, to be very blunt, a bit of a shit show, but was ultimately based on high emotions from candidates who are very passionate in what they believe in. I also watched a group of Democrats who had a large amount of respect for one another and are truly running issue-oriented campaigns.
When I decided to write about this topic, it started as me wanting to talk about my feelings about the candidates, but the more I learned and read the more I realized that it’s okay for all of us to have different opinions. That is what makes our country great after all, our ability to have different views and still be able to function and have a level of respect for each other. I have my views and you have yours; that doesn’t mean that either one of us is more intelligent than the other.
As long as you are an informed citizen who is behind a candidate that you believe in, I don’t see why we can’t talk about our beliefs civilly and without bashing each other. If you are planning to vote in this election, the only thing this millennial is asking is that you educate yourself, and make a decision that you would be willing to live with and support for the next four years. Instead of making decisions based on hate, let’s come together and make a decision that is ultimately going to bring us all together instead of tearing this country apart.
