Following the results of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, many took to the streets of their respected cities and displayed both peaceful and aggressive forms of protest. The national news quickly shifted from one city to the next with more and more crowds emerging. The American people united to protest against the President of the United States. People have every right to voice their displeasure in regards to our new President. In fact, it’s what separates the United States from countries where such behavior is criminalized. At 33 years of age, I can honestly say this was the first time I witnessed such displeasure with our election results. Sure, there was some backlash when President Bush was elected to a second term, some even marched during his Inauguration, however, it fails in comparison to what we witnessed following this election.
Thanks to the landscape of social media, national media, and our advanced telecommunications we now have the American political system at our fingertips. We were exposed to the highs and lows of our nation’s electoral system. Democrats from Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and other surrounding areas saw their vote count towards the popular vote. While their state remained red with the electoral college. On the same scale, Californians and New Yorkers that are republican all knew their state would vote blue.
While voting is our civic duty and a right that most citizens wish they had, many in our nation felt scammed by the election of Donald J. Trump. Many view this President as a con man, a hijacker, a man who duped the United States into voting for him. Many Democratic voters wanted Bernie Sanders to win the Democratic nomination. However, Hillary Clinton became the Democratic choice for President. This caused some voters (including myself) to distance themselves from voting for our nation’s President. The aftermath of this resulted in Donald Trump as our new commander and chief.
Fast forward to today, we are witnessing the complex dynamics of our nation’s political system. More media has allowed U.S. citizens a more detailed inside look at how a President builds his cabinet, the way in which new bills are presented to Congress, and the decisions that are going to reshape this country during this President’s term. Now, avoiding the subject of fake news and Russian interference, this is the time to become invested in our nation’s political system. Coming from a time where we left politics up to the elite on Capitol Hill, I see now that we finally have a chance to change the world.
What’s going to be problematic is getting the youth to come back into politics following the 2016 election. Many people will turn to apathy based on the results. However, no fight truly ends after a defeat. We are approaching a new era in our nation’s history. We are possibly on the brink of war (again), we have a President who has never held a political position calling the shots, and we have our political heroes fighting President Trump every day. This is why the health care bill was pulled from the Senate floor just hours before it was to be voted on.
Now more than ever, young people need to be aware of what is happening in our nation’s political system. The Democratic Party suffered a great defeat in 2016, and yet, Democrats are continuing to fight against the GOP and President Trump. The notion of democracy is being involved in the political process. I urge everyone to at least pay attention.
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