I'm going to begin this article by stating something important: I'm going to remain as neutral as possible. This is not about personal opinion, purely about the observation of this year's controversy surrounding the election. Candidates and inflammatory comments about them aside, walking into this election is a scary whirlwind that I didn't expect to be a part of. When I was 16, I didn't have any idea as to what I was getting into. I wasn't even thinking about how my voice can contribute to the country's well-being. But now that I feel like I've been thrown in the middle of a crazy relationship between bickering partners, and all I want to do is hide under the blankets and wait until the storm is over. Unfortunately, there isn't a way to escape, so we have to figure out how to manipulate the system to make the world a better place.
As a new adult, I find myself reeling with the barrage of opinions being thrown at my generation. It's incredibly hard to make a decision when everyone seems to have a question at every turn. At the same time, there are important elements that this intense battle can teach us. We can learn how to argue, how to analyze every kind of angle within issues that pertain to us. While college kids like us might not know much about money, it gives us the opportunity to research why it's important to consider the various pools that our money goes into.
Aside from money — which seems to be the biggest part of the election — we also get the opportunity to explore the facets of political hot topics. It's still overwhelming, and a lot of us default to what our parents believe as a source of familiarity. While it's okay that we try and go back to what we were raised as, it's also important to remember that now we're expected to create our own opinions of popular issues. How can we contribute to society and change the world if we don't known how to form our own views?
All in all, there's also the issue of watching the debates...and those have been a wild ride. As someone who has never watched a debate before, I don't know what to think of either side. Without going into detail, I'm disappointed in both candidates for the baiting and insults. I guess that's what happens in the adult world, we try and find ways to take each other down in shows of dominance. But that isn't what I find to be impressive or productive in terms of running a country — one of the most powerful in the world.
Overall, I think that there is more to be said about the confusion that shrouds our country's election system. We new adults are being thrown into this kind of fast, and it can be hard to acclimate, but at least we're picking up good skills to use later on in life while we still crack the code to being a registered voter.
