No matter what time of day or which news channel you prefer, the 2016 presidential race has been the prominent news story for months. I'm sure that by this point we are all completely sick of hearing about classified emails and a wall between the U.S. and Mexico but we are far from the finish line. America has a very important decision to make in the next few months. The selection of our next president will take us into the upcoming years filled with unknown challenges, triumphs, innovations, and improvements. We have a choice, which we should be grateful for in of itself, but that could be a whole other article. The fact that we have a choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is wonderful. What is not so wonderful is that one of them will end up as the next Commander in Chief of the United States of America.

I am about to turn 21 in a couple of months and this is the first election that I have followed closely and taken an interest in. I have taken interest in it because now more than ever before, my life will be affected by the individual who is selected. This will be the first presidential election that I will have been old enough to vote in and I'm sure I'm not the only one who believes this might be one of the most important ones in our nation's history. Sure, I was affected by President Bush and President Obama but I was not old enough to know what terrorism was during 2001 or understand the drastic effects of the 2008 recession. Now that I am a young adult who is about to enter the real world, I will be experiencing a lot of changes in the next few years of my life. I will have a job, own a house, have a family of my own, need medical insurance, be even more worried about the safety of my country, and several other things that I don't even want to think about right now. This election is crucial for everyone, but it is a big reality check for me because this president will play a large role in the starting years of my adult life.

I am truly worried about not only our country but the well-being of the entire world. I can't even turn on the TV anymore without hearing the words terrorism, dead, shooting, or any other words that have a synonymous, negative connotation. We live in a scary world and I don't know about you but I sure do want a president who will try his or her best to protect the lives of not only the American citizens but those around the world in order to sustain peace. Whether that responsibility be bestowed upon Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, I have extremely high expectations for both because they have my family, friends, fellow citizens, and myself relying on them. Our world is falling apart because of acts of violence and we need a leader who will try his or her best to prevent it from getting any worse. We can only go up from here.

My opinion on who should be elected is not appropriate for this article, but I will say that the American people need to think long and hard about their decision because the future of our country depends on it. Clinton and Trump both have pros and cons that cannot be overlooked no matter how you twist it. The fact of the matter is that one of them is going to be selected. Although that may seem scary if you do not like either one of them it is inevitable. The most important thing we can do, however, is vote. Vote for what you believe in and for who you think will make the largest and most positive impact on our country and the world.

That leads me to my final point, which is political parties. I think it is crazy that someone would vote for a candidate that they don't even like just because they are from their political party. If you are a Republican but feel like the Democratic nominee would do a better job in the position, then vote for them. An "R" or "D" next to someone's name should have no affect as to how we look at them or agree/disagree with what they say. Vote for the person that makes the most sense, not for who is a fellow party member with that which you are associated with.

Do not underestimate the power of this election because it will have a drastic impact on America. Be smart about who you vote for by becoming educated on each candidate's policies and ideas for the future. This election will impact all generations so we must vote for what we believe in!