AMERICAN POLITICS

I can see why some people believe our politics to be a bit of a joke. I mean, let’s look at the presidential race: in comparison to the serious politicians of other countries, we have an eccentric and naïve socialist, a woman who should have been indicted already, and a reality TV star whose campaign mission seems to be angering every demographic in the country. Quite honestly, most of the people I know who are of voting age believe that they’re stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea- not one good option; best, they think, to go with the lesser of the two evils.

You would think that after having fought a revolution that was fought to have a say in our government, that people would exercise that right with some responsibility. You would think that instead of saying, ‘Oh, you’re voting for this candidate? I’ll vote for them, too’, they’d actually take the time to inform themselves about each candidate rather than play eeny meeny miny moe to determine their vote. But we vote for some of the most ridiculous people without a second thought, from former KKK leader David Duke, who ran for representative in Louisiana (and won), to current nominee Donald Trump, who has made outrageous claims spanning from building a giant wall to blocking off sections of the Internet.

This is why I believe that one of our biggest issues today is ignorance. Why is it that people refuse to consider a person from the other parties? Why is it that people vote as friends and parents do without even looking at the candidate’s views? I’ve met many people recently that almost sadden me with what they said- one boy, who will be able to vote in this year’s election, said he’s voting for Sanders because of free college opportunities. When I asked him where the money would come from, he said, ‘Just tax the rich fifty percent’. Voting for Sanders isn’t necessarily bad, if he supports your views, but let’s have a sense of realism here: even if you taxed the rich one hundred percent- and why would they stay here if you did?- that’s not going to pay for everyone.

The next unfortunately misinformed person was an adult, so no excuses for this level of ignorance. She said, and I quote, ‘To get rid of ISIS, why not just bomb the Middle East?’ She was completely serious. Can people not see the issue here? We’ve got some shockingly ill-informed people who are voting for the future of our country.

Another ignorant view I keep running up against is that the people of the opposite party (Democrats, Republicans) are stupid, no matter what, and they’re clearly voting for the wrong person. I’ve heard Democrats saying to Republicans that they’re callous, self-absorbed, hidebound, warmongers who will stamp on the poor to bolster the rich. On the flip side, I’ve heard Republicans say to Democrats that they are naïve, foolish, idealistic to a fault, overly politically correct, and basically, just a load of people looking for handouts. The two parties are so polarized that people won’t even consider the other side. They continue on believing that the other side is full of people blind to what’s best for America, and don’t even consider that they’re the ones who are blinkered by their own very narrow views.

So, if you’re reading this, and you can vote or will be able to in this coming election, please: inform yourself. Just because your parents or friends vote one way doesn’t mean you have to. Just because you’re of one party doesn’t mean you should only vote for that party’s candidate. Just because there are quite a number of people who don’t vote doesn’t mean you should add yourself to that number. Clearly, you can make a difference, because that’s how voting works- it’s what the people want, and if you, as part of the people, can vote but choose not to, you do your country a disservice. Encourage your friends and your families to stay up to date with politics, open yourself to new ideas and ways of thinking, and don’t limit yourself with a lack of knowledge or a narrow worldview. Fight back against this ignorance that harms our nation, and get involved. Our government is of the people, by the people, and for the people, so do your part.