After four anxiety-filled days watching the 2020 Election results come out little by little, former Vice-President Biden was announced as the ultimate winner. And although this is a sigh of relief, our work is not finished. More than ever, it is important for those that voted him in to call out the mistakes he makes while in office. Being complacent in politics shows one’s disregard for human rights, the environment, and many other important issues. These next four years are an exciting time for many of us, but for the country to change for the better, don’t be shy to call him out on his mistakes. It’s going to be necessary if we want comprehensive change.
Complacency has no place in politics. It has only had negative impacts on this country. These past four years have been a clear example of that. When a presidential candidate openly brags about sexually assaulting someone, and people still vote for that candidate, making him president, it’s wrong. What’s worse is that this person belongs to the Republican party, a political party that has “conservative” values and essentially many of GOP elected officials have turned a blind eye to any inappropriate or wrongdoing the President has said or done since he first began his campaign. This goes against everything this party used to stand for, and has instead supported a racist, misogynistic, and ignorant leader, and still believes that their party is the same one as Abraham Lincoln’s. The carelessness that has occurred in these past few years has caused an increase in hate crimes, denied the existence of climate change, put children in cages, and the undermining of our democracy. And it hasn’t changed either. While Trump and the majority of Republican elected officials continue to deny the election results, it only makes our country look bad. One should care about politics, and more importantly one should put human rights before the party.
Don’t be shy to call out President-elect Biden now and once he’s elected, this is the responsible thing to do. If you are angry, passionate, disagree, and/or agree with something that President Biden does, it’s ok to share those feelings. So much still needs to be done. There needs to be comprehensive immigration reform, black lives need to be protected, the LGBTQ community should be heard, and healthcare should be a right, not a privilege. Biden may have won by eight million votes, but more people voted for Trump compared to that of 2016. This has only shown that the country is more divided than ever and even worse, people still chose to support and vote for a President that spews hate, a President that wasn’t able to condemn a white supremacist group. It’s our responsibility to confront and challenge the leader of the country when they are not making the right decisions no matter what party we belong to.
By carrying out one’s civil responsibility, it leads to being part of a nation where you’re actually proud of the work being done. On January 20th, 2021 the nation will have a President that won the popular vote and also won the presidency, meaning that his administration reflects the values of the majority of this country. We will also have the first woman who is also the first Black and South Asian vice president ever. But with all of the change will come rejection from the other side, so fight for what you believe in and speak out on the injustices that continue to happen. It’s only right, so don’t be afraid to speak your mind.