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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at IUP chapter.

Voting is one our of the most important roles as citizens of the United States to protect our democracy. It is a simple process of picking a candidate that supports your best interest, but becomes incredibly complicated during times like these when misinformation spreads like wildfire. No candidate will be exactly what you want them to be, but as a community we must decide who will protect our freedoms and strive to do what is best for the country, not what is best for them.

Kamala Harris has shown time and again that she will keep our personal freedoms, and expand those freedoms further. As Vice President she is not able to pass any policies, but her performance in her role has shown her capability to be in office and take care of our country.

abortion

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz believe that it is a woman’s choice what to do with her body, not the government’s. Women will not be punished for taking medically necessary steps to ensure that their health is taken care of. Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, women have died from miscarriages, lost their ability to ever have children, and had life threatening experiences all because of this decision. It is impossible to completely get rid of abortions, only limit the access to safe abortions. Healthcare providers are also put in the position of either taking care of their patients, or turning them away in fear of jeopardizing their careers and putting a woman’s life in danger when refusing care. A common misconception is that women want abortions and use this as a form of birth control. A woman gets an abortion when she is backed into a corner and feels that she has no other option. Donald Trump wants to completely ban abortion nationwide, even in states that are trying to protect that right. He does not care about the 12 year old girl that was raped and got pregnant. He does not care about the woman who unintentionally got pregnant and cannot afford a baby or the medical costs that come with a pregnancy. He even claimed that women are getting abortions after birth during his recent debate with Kamala Harris. Just think about that, a woman is going to get pregnant, and while knowing that she does not want this baby, is going to carry that child for nine months, go through the traumatic process of giving birth… and then decide to kill the newborn child? To be clear, this is not a procedure that happens anywhere in the United States.

THe Economy

Inflation and interest rates have been a large problem for the United States recently. No one, from either party, wants this. No matter who you blame for this issue, Kamala Harris wants to resolve it. This will include mortgage assistance, tax credits for parents with new-born children, and a ban on price gouging. She believes that a strong middle class is what drives our economy, not the billionaires that Trump wants to give tax breaks to. Whether you are lower, middle, or upper class, a strong economy benefits our society.

Healthcare

In their recent debate, Donald Trump was asked about his healthcare plan, to which he said, “I have concepts of a plan, I’m not president right now,” then continued to further reveal that we will hear about this “plan” soon, but gave no indication of any real existence of such “plan.” Kamala Harris has a plan. As president, she has promised to give people access to healthcare by building up the Affordable Care Act and lowering premiums by increasing tax credits. She will fight to lower the cost of insulin and other prescription drugs so that more Americans have access to necessary medications.

The Environment

Kamala Harris holds the polluters in our country accountable, rather than blaming citizens for their individual carbon footprint. She voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, which created thousands of clean energy jobs, and lowered household energy costs to try and decrease pollution. As president, she wants America to continue to fight against the climate crisis as a global leader in the issue. If we want to make the changes that we are trying to make in the world, we need to still have a world to do it in.

LGBTQI+ freedom

Kamala Harris believes that you should have the right to love who you love freely, and she will continue to protect gay marriage. She will fight to pass the Equality Act that protects anti-discrimination for people in the LGBTQI+ community when it comes to education, housing, healthcare, and so much more. Trump has no plan of protecting these rights, and continues to attack LGBTQI+ individuals and families. During a time where there is so much hate and discrimination, we should not be dictating who someone is allowed to love.

gun laws

Kamala Harris believes that Americans should be safe from gun violence in schools, communities, and places of worship. She will implement this belief by increasing background checks and eliminating loopholes. She supports law enforcement and community safety programs and has funded thousands of mental health professionals to be hired in schools. She is the head of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, and plans to ban assault weapons. She recently revealed that she is a gun owner and is not here to take away people’s guns. She wants to eliminate the illegal acquiring of guns that has caused an incalculable amount of deaths in our country. Parents should not have to worry about their child being shot while in school on any given day, and neither should a child worry about such a thing. Donald Trump wants to arm teachers and put even more guns on our streets.

the military

Kamala Harris is prepared to be Commander in Chief. She has stood up for America across the globe, visiting 21 countries and meeting with 150 world leaders. She has vast experience in national security and is endorsed by upwards of 350 foreign policy and national security experts. She cares about veterans and will work to end veteran homelessness, increase mental health support, and work to prevent veteran suicide. As Attorney General, she fought in favor of veterans in several cases and will continue to do so as our president. Donald Trump continues to publicly insult veterans such as John McCain, who had been captured and tortured for five and a half years in Vietnam, saying that he was “not a war hero” because “I like people who were not captured”. It was also confirmed in 2020 that Trump had called veterans and service members “suckers” and “losers”. This disrespect for the people that have fought for this country cannot be tolerated, especially from the person responsible for leading our nation.

her credentials

Kamala Harris has a degree in Political Science and Economics from Howard University, and a Doctor of Law from the University of California. She was the deputy district attorney in Alameda County, California. She also served on the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, and California Medical Assistance Commission. She was an assistant district attorney, and from there went on to the chief of the Career Criminal Division. At San Francisco City Hall, she was in charge of the Family and Children’s Services Division. She then went on to be the first person of color to be the district attorney of San Francisco. She then became California’s Attorney General, and was re-elected for a second term. In 2016, she became California’s senator. In 2020, when Joe Biden was elected president, she became the first Indian-American, African-American, and female Vice President. Her experience is vast and impressive, and proves that she is going to continue to fight for this country on an even bigger scale as president.

hotties that are for harris

Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Lawrence, Taylor Swift, Fran Drescher, Olivia Rodrigo, George Clooney, Barbra Streisand, John Legend, Ken Burns, Aaron Sorkin, Spike Lee, Charli XCX, Cardi B, Kesha, Michelle and Barack Obama, Hillary and Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Cynthia Nixon, Mark Cuban, Mindy Kaling, Kerry Washington, Nick Offerman, Jane Fonda, Ben Stiller, John Stamos, Ed Helms, Tiffany Haddish, Ike Barinholtz, Anna Wintour, Tory Burch, Matt Damon, Lin Manuel-Miranda, Aubrey Plaza, Martha Stewart, Billie Eilish and Finneas, and Bill Nye.

last thoughts

This barely even scratches the surface of why Kamala Harris is the best option for our country. I urge you to do more research on her and her policies and decide for yourself whether she is who you want to serve our country as president. Donald Trump has proven time and time again that he does not truly care about American citizens. He has mocked his own supporters, continually demeaned women and taken away their rights, and is a convicted felon. His lies have poisoned this country and have divided our nation on a catastrophic scale. Do not take voting in this election lightly, urge people to register to vote by October 21st, and actually do so when the time comes on November 5th. Visit Kamala Harris’ website (linked below) to read up on her plans and to learn more about her and Tim Walz’s campaign.

Sources

Berg, Judith A, and Nancy Fugate Woods. “Overturning Roe v. Wade: Consequences for Midlife Women’s Health and Well-Being.” Women’s Midlife Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 6 Jan. 2023, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9824972/.

“Issues.” Kamala Harris for President: Official Campaign Website, 27 Sept. 2024, kamalaharris.com/issues/.

Kheel, Rebecca. “Here’s Kamala Harris’ Record on Veterans and Military Issues.” Military.Com, 24 July 2024, www.military.com/daily-news/2024/07/24/what-would-harris-presidency-mean-service-members-and-veterans-heres-what-shes-done-past.html.

McCausland, Phil. “Where Kamala Harris Stands on 10 Key Policy Issues, from Immigration to Guns.” BBC News, BBC, 11 Sept. 2024, www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx924r4d5yno.

Roeloffs, Mary Whitfill. “Harris and Trump’s Biggest Celebrity Endorsements: Bruce Springsteen, Zachary Levi and More.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 7 Oct. 2024, www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2024/10/04/harris-and-trumps-biggest-celebrity-endorsements-bruce-springsteen-zachary-levi-and-more/.

Rogers, Kirsten. “A Timeline of Kamala Harris’ Career.” IGNITE, 7 Nov. 2020, ignitenational.org/blog/a-timeline-of-kamala-harris-career.

Tirrell, Meg. “The Origins of Trump’s False Claim That Democrats Want to Allow ‘execution’ of Babies after Birth.” CNN, Cable News Network, 12 Sept. 2024, www.cnn.com/2024/09/12/health/trump-abortion-after-birth/index.html.

Trump Veteran Comments Spark Controversy — Again – Politico, archive.md/2024.08.16-173522/https:/www.politico.com/news/2024/08/16/trump-medal-of-honor-00174404.

Liv is a freshman at Indiana University of Pennsylvania as a part of the Cook Honors College. She is majoring in Sociology with a minor in Viola Performance. She graduated from Lewisburg Area High School in 2024, and was involved in several orchestras throughout her high school career. She has always had an interest in writing, and is very passionate about her opinions on current issues in the media, mainly dealing with LGBTQ rights, women's rights, and the 2024 election. She plans on getting her masters in Social Work and becoming a social worker after graduation.