On Oct. 25, 2024, I voted in my first presidential election. It’s a milestone many young people dream about: the time when you are finally able to turn your ideals into actions. However, as optimistic as it may seem in theory, like many others, I was only faced with disappointment and horror when the news came that the 47th president of the United States was going to be none other than Donald Trump. It was shocking and discouraging. I felt like my voice didn’t matter.
What was even more dismaying was discovering that those in my age demographic had played a large role in getting Trump reelected. For me, I wasn’t necessarily voting for a candidate as much as I was voting against Trump.
I couldn’t begin to comprehend how anyone could walk into their local polling place and express support for such a bigoted, moralless and truly awful man. Was Kamala Harris the perfect candidate? No. But at least she exhibited some semblance of common decency, which, standing next to Trump, wasn’t that hard to do.
As of today, Trump has been charged with 88 criminal offenses across four cases, and was ruled legally liable for sexual assault in one instance but still stands accused by countless more women. So far, he was referenced 38,000 times in the Epstein files, has defended and praised U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement despite their inhumane treatment of immigrants and launched an attack on Iran despite vehemently promising on his campaign trail that he wouldn’t start any wars, specifically in the Middle East.
Call me crazy, but none of these signify how a good figurehead of our country should behave, and we are barely halfway through his current term. The lack of consequences Trump has experienced despite the pain and suffering he has inflicted on others is staggering. If someone who has done so much wrong is sanctioned to have the most powerful political role in the U.S., what does that mean for the rest of us?
At this point, it almost doesn’t matter that Trump’s approval ratings are beginning to decline. His voters knew who he was when they voted for him. It’s only when Trump’s decisions begin to poke holes in their privilege that people start to question whether or not he was the right candidate.
Did his supporters finally grow a conscience after he used aggressively genocidal language, writing that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again”? Of course not. It was the rise of gas prices that really crossed the line for them. Who cares if individuals are facing human rights violations and death as long as you can get some cheap gas, right?
It’s easy to be painted as woke or just another raging liberal, but the truth is, my anger only derives from deep care. I truly want people to feel safe, seen and valued in the country they live in. I’ve been told before that Jesus needs to soften my heart, but many people don’t realize how soft it actually is, simply because they’re too blinded by how they perceive the world should be.
Truthfully, I’m scared. I don’t know what the second half of Trump’s presidential term is going to bring, nor do I know what comes next. Trump’s lack of care toward due process, as well as his overall drive to do whatever ultimately serves him, puts the U.S. in an extremely vulnerable position. But I try not to get ahead of myself because I know there are individuals in much more precarious positions than I am. At the end of the day, all we can do is continue to show up for those in our community and practice the values we wish to see reflected.
Many people deem those who critique the current administration or call out the actions our country condones as unpatriotic. But honestly, nothing shows that you love your country more than acknowledging the ways in which it stands to do better for its people. Our country was not made in the interest of one homogenous ideal for what a citizen should be. At this point, when things look bleak, the best form of rebellion is to love others and see the beauty in each individual instead of ripping into every difference.
No human should have hierarchy over one another; no one is intrinsically more valuable than another.
Valuing life doesn’t only equate to people’s reproductive decisions; instead, it should carry through to every aspect. This means you aren’t actively condoning ICE raids, funding Israel, bombing Iran or any other heinous decision Trump has firmly stood behind. And if you’re really pro-life, you’re pro-life for everyone, not just for those who look like you.
All we can do now is band together and hope for a more stable future — one that doesn’t include democracy being completely dismantled at the hands of Trump and his MAGA posse. So buckle up; the future can and must be bright. I’m not done fighting, and neither should you be.
There are 31 months until the next presidential election. You’d better be voting.
