I sit in my college house as a 20-year-old girl who suddenly feels waves of dĂ©jĂ vu from when I was a 12-year-old girl sitting on the couch in shock at what I’d just heard coming from the TV.
I don’t often talk about politics online or in public for that matter, but if you brought it up, I could sit for hours discussing it.
Those who don’t understand why some people talk about politics nonstop can’t always be blamed. Maybe they weren’t raised that way, maybe they aren’t educated enough in certain matters, or maybe they just don’t know where to even start.
I’ve seen so many people posting on social media during the past two days about the recent presidential election and I’m aware that a lot of those people haven’t taken the time to educate themselves on how much of an affect this has and will continue to have on our country.
I don’t agree with everyone and that’s life. I can’t waste my time arguing with people I barely know about things that I know they will never be willing to understand.
As a woman, I’m sad. I’m sad for the women who don’t have a voice, I’m sad for the people in this country that don’t have a voice, and I’m sad for the people who don’t understand what is yet to come from this election.
Deep down, we are still those kids in middle school watching the 2016 election and didn’t understand what was going on because we felt like we didn’t have to. We were just kids.
But unfortunately, we are no longer kids. We have jobs, careers, bills, student loans, and for some, families to take care of. This is the start of “the real world” for us.
Yes, it’s scary, but we have to learn to adapt to it. And with learning to adapt to it, it’s important to educate ourselves on who is leading us through this “real world.”
From a young age, we are taught values and morals mostly from our parents/guardian’s opinions and beliefs.
We can’t only base our opinions on what others have taught us. It is time for us to stand up, take action into our own hands, and create our own beliefs.
This isn’t to say that what our parents have taught us is completely wrong, but we are at the age where we need to start learning what’s going on in our country for ourselves.
I’m grateful to live in a country where I can vote, have freedom of speech, and be able to learn. Sadly, this is not the case for everyone, so this is why I educate myself.
What some don’t understand is this: “It’s not all about me.”
There are people who are fighting for their lives everyday for the “better life” they were promised when they entered this country.
There are people who are fighting everyday to be accepted for who they are.
There are people who are fighting everyday to get the healthcare and human basic rights that they deserve.
I educate myself because I want myself and the rest of my generation to be that change that this country needs to truly be the home of the brave and land of the free.
No matter who you are or what you believe in, you are loved, you are accepted, and you should educate yourself a little bit more everyday.
We don’t know what the future holds, but we do know that we aren’t giving up for what we believe in.
Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about me. It’s about all of us.