A Note Before Election Day
A thought piece about election anxiety and the future of America.
“For the first time, it feels like my rights are on the line.”
My friend said this to me in an impromptu FaceTime call, in which we were supposed to be catching up about our respective lives. The call transitioned rapidly from lighthearted gossip into an ominous, dystopian-like conversation about the future of our country. I quickly came to realize that politics and everyday life are nearly inseparable. Along with the compounded stress of our coursework and familial lives, the looming storm that is Election Day only added more fuel to the fire.
When I was eight, I saw President Obama on my ancient, boxed television screen as he made history as the first African-American president of the United States. Overjoyed is an understatement to describe how I felt at that time. With age, however, comes the disadvantage of forced social awareness and discarded naivete. We don’t have the privilege of being ignorant anymore, though the constant blabber from news stations only makes us more desensitized and jaded. As an adult, I see the issues with every administration that spearheaded America throughout my childhood. Even more so, I can see the problems of our current administration with clarity like never before.
I never paid much attention to politics, dragging along the excuse that “I just don’t understand it” in the hopes that I wouldn’t have to expend useless energy on differentiating between the parties and policies that each held. It was always easier to follow my parents’ beliefs and make decisions based on that.
The past four years, and more specifically the past few months, have shown me that this mindset is unacceptable. Gen Z’s political negligence only affects us down the line, with policies created by old people being here to stay for years. The pandemic has only exemplified this fact, with our President making decisions that dramatically change the course of this country — from the opening of businesses during a deathly global crisis to the appointment of Amy Coney Barret as U.S. Supreme Court Justice. These are two major decisions out of many, both of which were quickly signed off on. The “democracy” that we are in is slowly falling apart as the courts get packed with people of certain beliefs and mailing systems get blocked off, during a period where mail-in ballots are the safest way to vote. There are only so many phone calls one college student can make to their congressional representatives to make “change at a local level.”
As a young person with a future in this country, it is absolutely disheartening to know that my words and beliefs hold no power in the grand scheme of things. I plan to live here for a majority of my life — at least until I get into medical school, complete residency, and become a licensed medical practitioner. That is at least 20 years of my life where I will have to be living with the policies put into place by the people in power now.
And for you, you still have some time that you will live with this administration and its policies, no matter what your long-term plans are.
I said before that there is practically nothing that we can do, but there is one thing that we can do reliably, although it’s annoying to hear: vote. In a time that democracy seems to be failing us, voting is the sole right that we can exercise with confidence.
I am not being dramatic when I say that this decision will define America’s future, for better or for worse. Ask yourself, what kind of future do you want for yourself, or even for your children?
Election Day is tomorrow and the air only feels denser as time inches forward. With time, my heart also grows heavier with anxiety over how this decision will transform this country. So, I implore you to do the most you can do in your power to encourage your community to participate in the election.
It’s the least we can do.
