This political season has been especially emotional for everyone. Negative ads are everywhere, and I know it’s not just my “Facebook” feed that is full of hateful attacks toward one another. I do not understand how there is so much hatred in this country today. I may not agree with the political views of some of my friends and family, but I continue to have civil discussions with the people I interact with. Many of my friends are simply tired of the constant political ads every day. Living in Iowa means that we have been forced to watch ads since the long before the primaries. Presidential candidates have visited my college for the past year, and I many of my friends are sick of this discussion dominating every discussion. There is no truly avoiding this topic, as President Obama cannot retain his position forever. We are between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, and that is the truth.

In a small scale poll we conducted for a group project on campus, my group found that out of twelve students, every student had discussed the upcoming election in their classes. Seven out of twelve students plan on voting for Hillary Clinton, with only two votes for Donald Trump. I can only hope that America follows suit. I have discussed the election in each of my classes, and although it was difficult to relate this election back to British literature, each of my professors has found ways to incorporate it back to the class. It has been a rough campaign for each nominee to say the least. The scariest thing about this election in my personal opinion is that people I know support Trump’s ideals. There are people in my life that support his bigotry, his racism, and his sexism. This honestly troubles me deeply. I am anxious to see the polls tonight, as the American people vote for their next president. I have seen too many people honestly believing that Hillary Clinton is just as despicable as Donald Trump. Neither candidate is perfect, but there is no possible way that they are equally flawed. I cannot even begin to believe that this is the case.

As I sit and wait for the result of this election, I become further anxious. Quite frankly, it is scary to not be entirely certain as to who will become the next president. This will not only affect America for the next four years, but for our entire future. I am afraid for our future. I am hopeful for our future. Tonight’s election will decide our political climate, and I strongly advise everyone to care about it. Deciding not to care about the election does not make it go away, but it does guarantee your inability to change our country for the better.