I have exciting news! I registered to vote last week! It was so much more exhilarating than getting my license! Well, maybe not that exhilarating, but I found it to be important!
I am one step closer to adulthood. While that might seem like a daunting task, I find it to be quite empowering. When everything seems upside down, my voice and vote have the power to change the political climate of my country.
The system that was created two hundred years ago seemed amazing and "democratic." However, it was not always fair. Not everyone was granted the right to vote. Luckily, that is not the case today and everyone has the ability to vote.
Also, there are multiple parties that all have the same ability to run and be elected. So that gives voters free rein of who they want to be in office. Obviously, the Electoral College plays some role in this process, but the beauty of it all lies in the people's hands. Unless you cheat your way through the system.
I would like to clarify that my political repertoire has not yet matured. Everything is still muddy to me and there is no clear path to which party I will vote for in upcoming elections. Plus, my opinions (political or not) as a young adult are always evolving. Politics, the voting system, and just elections in general always seem to be pushed under the rug. Again, all of these opinions are my own and this is where my head is currently at.
First of all, my right to vote was granted to me some one hundred years ago. I don't want to take that for granted or act like it is someone else's job to take care of. My country is a politically raging, drama-filled mess and I believe that it is due to the generations before me.
My peers and I have been left with something that we are trying to take care of. Sure, the economy is booming and there is profit to be made. However, what about the mass shootings that take place almost daily if not weekly? Or the millions of migrants that are placed in holding camps with poor conditions? Maybe the climate IS changing and yet when a young woman addresses the issue, she gets mocked?
Secondly, the media also seems to play a big role in politics today. Media outlets all seem to be more biased than they were two decades ago. It seems to me that they are more worried about airing one side's dirty laundry or coming across as if they are more superior to another media outlet. I try to listen or seek out both sides of the story before I can form an opinion.
I don't actively watch the news to make sure that whatever opinion I have on a political topic is validated. Honestly, the only reason why I watch it is so that I can be more up to date on current situations happening in my country and around the world.
I actually enjoy watching The Philip DeFranco Show on Youtube. He addresses certain topics that are important to him and his viewers alike. He doesn't try to push a political agenda on his audience. Instead, he states his opinion and then leaves it up to the audience to form their own opinion. It's not Fake News.
So, those are just a few reasons why I registered to vote and what I think is going on in the political climate of America. I would like to reiterate that these are all of my opinions and some will probably change before the next election. On a more serious note with all jokes aside. I believe that politics have shifted greatly from what they are supposed to be.
We attack and ridicule each other before we sit down to have a conversation. The only way that we can and will have to agree on something is going to have to be through compromise. I hope my generation can do that. It starts with you and me. So go register to vote today!