I don’t like to be involved in politics. I don’t really care about the nominees, what they have to say; I usually heard from my dad about the best candidates and I would readily agree with him despite my lack of knowledge about them. This went well into last year. I didn’t care about the newest governor or the senator that was gunning for the Republican nomination. Honestly, I thought the political arena was merely a playground and only the best children won the sandbox fight.
I remember the presidential election of 2012 vaguely. I remember watching the primary debates and thinking to myself why would someone spend a couple hours yelling and making fun of the other person? Surely, there had to have been another way to get their point across. I grew a negative outlook on politics, the candidates seemed to care more about attacking the other’s personal character than the problems at hand. I didn’t appreciate how the candidates disrespected the moderators by talking over them and everything just turned into a name-calling match.
via abcnews.go.com
But that all changed this presidential election. Being over the age of 18, I promised myself to participate in one of the greatest civic duties an American citizen had – voting for the leader of the free world. So when the beginnings of the presidential elections began in late 2015, I began watching, even somewhat begrudgingly, the debates with all the potential candidates. As time went on, I saw the increasing popularity of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to both the praise and chagrin of people. People kept dropping out of the race left and right which leads us to where we are today; two Democratic nominees and four remaining Republican ones. I became intrigued at the different approaches on how to stop ISIS or fix the economic issues of the United States. I slowly became involved in understanding in depth the processes of the caucuses and how they affect who will get the primary nomination. I started to debate with my friends and family who should receive the presidential nomination and slowly, I began to understand why politics are so important for us today.
via nbcnews.com
So why should you get involved now? Well, assuming that you’re over 18, you now have a say in both your future as well as our country’s future. In today’s world, the younger generation is the future of America. Getting a job is a college student’s main priority, but how are we going to do that if the next president cuts jobs in the workforce? Despite some popular belief, politics are a concern to you. Your job? It is heavily dependent on the government’s economics and the labor force. Your education or your future children’s education? That depends on the budget the next president puts on the education budget. The point remains that this is the time where your voice needs to be heard. The upcoming work force is all college students and that includes you. So no matter which party you support, or which candidate you like, make sure your voice is heard. It is up to us to make sure that our country remains the country we dream of, and if you see a potential candidate who you think is fit to be president, make sure you do your civic duty and vote!
via hattiesburgjaycees.org
