Election 2020: Your Vote Says More About You Than Just Your Politics
By Bella King
Polarization. That is what describes America this month. But what word will describe our future? That has been determined by the votes cast on November 3rd.
We as a country have embarked on a journey that will determine the next four years of our lives. Will it be led by a competent human who possesses empathy, compassion, intelligence, and experience? Or someone who has repeatedly shown that the most important person in America is not the citizens of this country, but himself and himself alone? I asked a few people about their views on this election and was not surprised to see that many young, educated people generally want Biden to be president.
Lorenzo Rivera, a third-year student at Baldwin Wallace University studying Arts Management and Digital Marketing, said, “This is definitely the most important election so far during my lifetime. The past four years of Trump’s presidency have been one long stride in the wrong direction for this country, and although Trump’s slogan is ‘Make America Great Again’ we must realize that his idea of ‘great’ is not beneficial to women, racial/ethnic minorities, or the LGBTQIA+ community. We all need to hold Trump accountable for his regressive actions (and inaction) and VOTE HIM OUT!”
I believe that any responsible citizen should not fear assessing our current state of the union from an unpartisan viewpoint. How much of the hatred, racism, bigotry, xenophobia, homophobia, and anti-Semitism was rooted here before Trump? Surely, he stoked the fires that empowered these hateful groups to feel emboldened enough to share their feelings publicly and act on their prejudices, however, we need to really consider about what our country truly values. There was racism before Trump. There was homophobia before Trump. There was anti-Semitism before Trump. What will our country do to address the deep-rooted divisions that were here before Trump fertilized and grew those ideals? That is the question that every American must ask themselves. Our actions and our votes will determine how we want to proceed as a country.
Emily Southworth is a third-year social work student at University of Cincinnati who viewed this election as more than just politics—she realized that her vote would outline what her morals and values dictate. She explained, “This election has proven to be one of the most divided in all of American history. Growing up in a Republican household, it took time for me to establish my political stance. After much research, I decided my future profession and faith better align with the democratic party. Joe Biden’s campaign has mirrored his character, representing a strong and calm man with genuine compassion for even the most vulnerable of our society. I can’t say the same for Donald Trump. He has lied and manipulated people into believing that he has this country’s best interest at heart. The current state of our country will only worsen if Donald Trump is re-elected for a second term.”
Lastly, I wanted to ask Emma Kyme, an International Relations student at UT Austin, what her views on this election were because she has the unique perspective of someone who has intensely studied Trump’s influence on not only America, but the entire world. She said, “…I have seen first-hand how Trump’s rhetoric and actions has polarized this country further, making me scared for the future and how we treat people in this country. Because I am studying international relations, in a lot of my classes we talk in depth on the actions of President Trump on the international stage and how he colors our relationships with many other countries with by his rhetoric and actions. With his potential re-election I am nervous about how our relations especially with China, Europe and Japan.”
