"If you're reading this, it's too late." -Drake
But thankfully, it's not too late. Hopefully you're here to better educate yourself on current issues. Now, I am by no means the best resource when it comes to politics, I can admit that. But America needs us. So I am going to explain to you the best that I can with what I know.
We need to educate ourselves on the issues in our country and gain insight on the presidential candidates that are running to be the next president of the United States. So much of our future depends on this election. So if you're even considering not voting, I would highly consider reevaluating your life decisions. Do the best you can to research and form your own opinions on the issues. But I'm glad you're starting here.
So here it is, Politics for Dummies.
Disclaimer: you might experience a hint of opinion.
The Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is the highest federal court of the United States. It was established in the Constitution and acts as the final interpreter of federal constitutional law. It consists of the Chief of Justice and eight others who are nominated by the President. These people are called justices, and they have life tenure unless they resign, retire or are impeached.
So, enough of the technical; this is what's going on with The Supreme Court. Recently, Justice Antonin Scalia passed away. Scalia was appointed by Ronald Reagan in 1982, so he was there for a while.
Now, here is where your concern begins. This is very important, because that means there is an open position in The Supreme Court, and if you need a refresher already, this is the highest court in the U.S. So the next person to be appointed can have a very large impact on our personal futures and our country's future. Think about all the controversial debates, things like abortion and immigration. The next person to join the Supreme Court could decide on these issues and forever change our country. President Obama wants to nominate someone to add, but others want to wait until the next president is elected later this year.
With all that being said, here are your Presidential Candidates and what they stand for. I hope that with this information you can form your own opinions and vote.
Hillary Clinton
Now, I hope that you aren't going to scroll past my first Presidential Candidate simply because she's a woman or you heard one thing you don't agree with. I hope that you're willing to become a little more invested in the issues and read up on all of the candidates.
So, let's talk about Clinton. She is one of the two democratic candidates still in the running. If elected, Clinton will become the first female President, and I would love to live to see that day. She wants to work to make college affordable, and she is going to work to make sure that the colleges are held accountable for making it affordable. Her plan is to give working families raises and provide them with tax relief.
Like all the other candidates, she wants to improve the economy. She will invest in infrastructure, clean energy, and scientific and medical research to strengthen the economy and also create jobs. When it comes to gun control, Clinton wants to increase the number of background checks, and she wants to make legislation that always requires background checks. Clinton will also close the "Charleston Loophole," which is a loop hole that allows gun sales without a background check if it takes more than three days.
So that's just a little of what Clinton is up to. Check out her campaign.
Donald Trump
No, unfortunately, his campaign is not a joke.But in an attempt to keep this article informative, I will just leave my opinions at that.
Donald wants to make America "great," so he wants to build a wall and make another country pay for it. A lot of his opinions on certain issues are changing. Before, he had liberal opinions, but with his presidential campaign, they are (appearing to become) more conservative.
He wants to make sure the second amendment is not altered. Trump is strong on the right to bear arms. Like all the other candidates, Trump wants to lower the debt, which is great, because he definitely doesn't want this to fall back on to the younger generations, which it more than likely will either way.
Want to know more about Trump? Visit his website; not his already famous one, but his actual campaign site.
Bernie Sanders
Sanders is more than likely the most unusual candidate for president. Not to me personally, but he is pretty far from what America is used to.
Sanders wants to raise minimum wage to $15 an hour. He also wants to work to make education free, which explains why the majority of his campaign supporters are younger. Sanders also is a strong supporter of personal choice when it comes to abortions, as he thinks that women have the right to make their own decisions about their bodies. Another issue Sanders wants to focus on if elected would be to lower the price of prescription drugs, since prescription drugs are incredibly expensive in the United States, compared to other countries.
Sanders focuses on a lot of important topics. If you want to learn more about his campaign and what he wants to do for America, check out his campaign.
Ted Cruz
Ted Cruz is a strong man of God. And as much as the next person, I appreciate someone with a strong commitment to their religion. Just to serve as a reminder: there is a separation of church and state. Opinion over.
Ted Cruz wants to investigate Planned Parenthood. He wants to keep the marriage between a man and a woman strong. Ted Cruz is also a strong supporter of the second amendment, as he wants to protect America's right to bear arms and he recognizes this amendment as a way to protect American citizens.
Cruz wants to decrease illegal immigration. He will make an attempt to secure the border by increasing border security and building a wall that "works."
Want to know more about Cruz? Check out his campaign.
Those are just the candidates that seem to have the most support currently, considering that there are only two democratic candidates. But I hope you've learned enough to better educate yourself, and that this perhaps sparked an interest for you to further your education on the issues and the candidates who could potentially be running our country in less than a year.
With voter turn out at an all-time low, form an opinion and vote this year. This election will shape this country for the rest of your life.