Happy Election Year, everyone.
We're only two months deep in 2016 yet it seems as if this year's presidential election has been lingering over our heads for what feels like forever. Our generation in particular has been called "lazy" regarding our political involvement. To all of you out there who think we don't care, we care... A LOT. Many of us are at a pivotal point in our lives where we are learning how to be an adult in the real world and it's scary. We are, or are about to, transition into the parts of our lives where we're discovering what it's like to be on our own. I'm certain that a large portion of our generation can relate to the stress of student loans and job searching. I'm also certain that our generation can relate to the fact that who runs for president during this time in our lives can either have a significantly positive impact or a significantly negative one. So here are some things we want all of you presidential candidates to know.
1. Stop giving each other put downs.
As if the world isn't harsh enough already; we don't want to see you trash talk one another. We don't want to know what so-and-so did or said wrong, we want to know what you're going to do right. It's crucial that you tell us how you are going to make this country a better place for everyone.
2. We know you can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?
When we think about who we want to help run our country we think about who is going to actually make a difference. Remember the saying, "Actions speak louder than words?" It's true. It's one thing to say something but it's another to actually do it. We want someone that is willing to go the extra mile, someone who is going to make their promises realities.
3. We don't always want to hear what we're doing wrong.
Have you ever had a teacher only put negative comments on your work? That's what it's like listening to your speeches sometimes. We think it's great that you want to help fix our problems but we also think it's great to let us know what you think what we're doing right for once. We're not saying you have to walk around and give all of us those, "You're a superstar!" stickers but we want to know what is so amazing about our nation every now and then, not what's so wrong with it.
4. Please, for the love of all things holy, be HONEST.
We are told nearly our entire lives that if you don't learn from your past mistakes then history is bound to repeat itself. We've had politicians that have lied to us... don't be that politician. We want you to be straightforward with us, we don't want someone who is going to sugarcoat everything they say so that when you're asked about something two years later you can tell us "what you really meant." Before you say something stop and think, "Am I only saying this for the votes?" If your answer is yes, please don't say it.
5. Lastly, we want you to care.
We want someone that loves this nation as much as we do. As a country, we're far from perfect but there's a lot of potential here. After all, we are the U.S. of A! If you're not enthusiastic about our future then how do you expect us to be?
So to all of you presidential candidates out there, present and future, please keep these things in mind, our generation would greatly appreciate it.
