We keep hearing that the election this year is a “big one” and that everyone needs to go vote this year, etc. But, most of us really don’t understand or get why this election means so much this time around. Shouldn’t all presidential elections hold the same importance every four years? Well, not until recently did I fully understand why this particular election is important.
Don’t get me wrong, after I knew Donald Trump was running for president, I definitely knew that I needed to get my act together and actually look into the candidates this year to see who I agreed with the most. It wasn’t until after the GOP presidential debate in Houston that I realized I actually needed to vote this year. I didn’t watch the entire thing, I just watched a few highlight videos on Facebook, but the result in each of them was the same. All I saw was Trump, Rubio, and Cruz bickering like 12-year-olds trying to tell their mom why they were in the right and the other two should get grounded. It was extremely childish and reaffirmed my distaste for politics as a whole. I still don’t know what anyone actually wants to do as the president—besides Trump wanting to build a stupid wall between the U.S. and Mexico—which I will add, is absurd. I feel like I know nothing about most of these candidates, yet I need to go vote for someone. How am I supposed to make an informed decision when politicians are acting like this is the homecoming queen/king race?
As one of the young adults in America who is not involved in political issues and tends to avoid things in that subject at all costs, we really need to start becoming more knowledgeable in these subjects. It doesn’t matter what your party affiliation is, it matters what you think about a certain issue. Educating yourself is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves as we start becoming real adults. We have to know where we stand on an issue and actually look at both sides of it. Reading the same newspaper and watching the same political TV program every day only gives you one side of everything. To truly understand where others are coming from, we have to actually look into some of their facts and beliefs. It also makes you look smarter when you can understand an opposing point, and then knock it down with something else that proves your idea to be more correct.
Another reason we need to be more involved in politics is that the candidates this year are from everywhere on the spectrum. We need to understand what exactly these candidates plan on doing while in office and what that exactly means for us. Will they improve the education system, if so, how will this affect me as a future math teacher? What are they going to do about healthcare and what will happen to my coverage when these plans are enacted? We have to think about what is best for us now and in two years from now when this person is in office. Again, your opinion on these things is your own and you are entitled to believe whatever you please, but I would encourage you to educate yourself on these topics so that you are fully understanding why you believe the way you do.
The election this year has a lot riding on it and we have to start using our vote as our voice to our country. As citizens, we should be advocating for our country to be better and more progressive in the way we handle how our country is run. We need to be knowledgeable and understand the long-term effects that this election will have with the new president. Your opinion matters, it always has mattered, but this time you need to voice it and go vote. Even if you like Trump and you want to vote for him, your opinion still holds. The primaries that have already happened and Super Tuesday this week, we need to go vote and let our voice be heard. Let’s be proactive and start looking into political issues so that when November rolls around, we are more prepared.
