Our Lives, Our Futures: Why This Election Is So Important For Our Generation

Coming of age in an era of war, an economic recession, mass shootings, wildfires, and now a pandemic, as a generation we have collectively come to understand the gravity of the issues facing our country. Climate change, racial inequality, reproductive rights, healthcare, the pandemic, a damaged economy – these are just some of the many issues on the ballot this November. What is possibly the most crucial election of our lifetimes will not only affect our futures but those of generations to come. 

The past four years have been filled with nothing but division and distrust, and after a presidential term filled with attacks on our democracy, an impeachment, bigoted remarks, an uptick in white supremacy, and destructive mismanagement of the Covid-19 pandemic, engagement in this election comes from a place of desperation for many who seek an end to this administration and its policies. With this election, Americans are given the opportunity to alter not only the fate of the immediate present, but also the fates of generations to come and determine whether or not America will become a country for people other than its wealthiest, whitest male citizens. 

Depending on the outcome of this election, our country’s future diverges into two distinct paths. It will dictate whether or not we will have an inhabitable planet to live on, if we will overcome systemic racism and end white supremacy, if we can maintain the foundation of our democracy, if we can make healthcare, housing, and education available to all, and above all else if we can guarantee basic, fundamental human rights to all Americans. More than just politics or a matter of the economy, this election is about establishing and upholding a set of principles. It is about fighting for a sense of integrity, so that even when politicians believe that people’s rights are debatable, we, as a nation, do not abandon our sense of morality.  

Although it is true that this election is essential in determining how our country will combat the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic recession, it will also determine whether or not America will confront and defeat its historic battles with environmental damage, systemic racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, and centuries-old systems of oppression and injustice. In an election that has forced our government to question what is at the core of our democracy, it also requires us to question what principles guide our decisions. Do our actions, including who we vote for and the policies we support, reflect our morals? How does this moment extend beyond ourselves?