Your 18th birthday: we’ve all waited anxiously for that day to come where we are finally adults. When that rightful day came, we all got excited about our newly received rights as Americans. These included buying lottery tickets, getting selected for jury duty, buying cigarettes (but don’t do that) and most importantly (and excitedly), the right to vote. I remember as a kid seeing presidential election coverage on TV and seeing my parents come home proudly wearing the “I voted” sticker.
Along with many other college students this year, this will be the first election I will be able to vote in. Us college students are #blessed to execute this amazing right, but we are all low-key laughing at how our first election is probably the craziest one in the history of this country. From sub-tweeting to name calling, this is a game-changing election for this country. Although it has been somewhat negative (somewhat?), it is an exciting thing to know that we are living through it and participating in it.
It is so exciting that college-aged citizens are changing the system and coming out from the political shadows. This election has excited the young-voter population and motivated many of them to exercise their right to vote. Although I’m sure that many of us are ready for the political season to be over, we have to push through a little longer. It’s frustrating to see such juvenile remarks and corrupt actions coming from two candidates that are running for the most powerful office in the United States. Despite this, even if you’re not fan-girling over either candidate, it’s important to still participate in the election process.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat or Republican, it is sooooo important for everyone to make their opinion known, even if you’re choosing from the lesser of two evils (unpopular opinion). At the end of the day, voting for the lesser of two evils is better than not voting at all. It is also important to keep in mind that you are voting not only for the President, but also choosing a political party to be in charge for the next four years; let’s not forget about our third party candidates, who could also align with your views the most.
Although sometimes watching the debates makes us want to pull our hair out from the immaturity displayed on the screen, our choices are imperative and everyone as an American citizen should have their values and ideals represented through voting. These short months of frustration with politics is going to affect the next four years, so stick it out! Election day is practically here and it’s our time to have our voices heard!