I’ve been debating on whether to write this article or not for a month because I know politics can be a touchy subject, but I have decided you adults can suck it up for the sake of this piece. All throughout my life, I have been politically active. Whether it was in second grade, when I watched Obama’s inauguration with my teacher; or at the age of 15, when I fully believed in socialism and urged people to vote for Bernie Sanders; or now, as an Independent college-student trying to figure out what the f*ck I believe in. I consider myself an Independent because I tend to change my opinion on political matters monthly. Just when I think I have a concrete answer to my beliefs, an article pops up that makes me question myself entirely. I call myself an Independent because I do not think my current beliefs can fit into one box, whether it be “Democrat” or “Republican.” My beliefs are too complicated to be labeled.
For example, when it comes to issues such as climate change or healthcare, you might as well call Bernie Sanders my best friend. Climate change is self-explanatory; we need to do something before it is too late (and it’s almost too late). Scientists have been warning us about climate change for over 20 years now. To my climate skeptics: yes, the Earth is always changing, but as humans, we have sped it up since the Industrial Revolution. We should be doing everything we can to combat climate change because if we do not, there will be wars over resources, homes will be destroyed, and people in third-world countries will suffer the most, even though they contribute the least to greenhouse gases.
Universal healthcare is another issue I wholeheartedly believe in. Now, how it will be implemented in the United States is something I am still learning, but according to The Balance we are actually spending more money on healthcare per person in this country, yet we have the same wait times as Germany, and they are spending much less and they have a social health insurance system! On top of that, our infant mortality rate is one of the highest in first-world countries. Once people have healthcare, they can focus on paying for other things, such as an education instead of paying for an outrageous medical bill. I mean, people are literally scared to go to the ER because they cannot afford it. Healthier people make for a healthier society. As a country who strives to be the greatest in the world, our healthcare system is not meeting that standard. And before you say, “Well how can we afford it?”, maybe consider cutting a little bit of that military budget and raising some taxes on the upper class.
Now, when it comes to issues such as the cost of college, immigration and political correctness, you could say I’m more in the middle. No, I do not think college should be free. Do I think the cost should be reduced? H*ll yes! However, I believe states should implement their own plan when it comes to the cost of university, like what New York did, by making the first two-years free. I’d rather have federal government funding and taxes go to healthcare first. When it comes down to immigration, a secure border and background checks are vital. However, that does not mean I support children being split up from their parents or building a wall. Walls haven’t proven to be very effective (looking at you, Berlin). I also know that the immigration system isn’t simple. Growing up in South Florida with all types of immigrants, I know it takes years to become a United States citizen.
When it comes to political correctness, I have gone back and forth. I mostly see this on Twitter, but it still has taken up an active part of our everyday conversations. When I was 15-years-old, you could have called me a social justice warrior. However, I have come to realize getting offended over everything will not help anyone. Do I believe in calling someone by the correct pronouns? Of course! That’s just common decency. However, I am going to laugh at Dave Chappelle’s jokes, and I should not be chastised for it. He’s a comedian, it’s his job to make people feel uncomfortable. We need to understand the difference between asking for common decency and unnecessary political correctness.
I am here to tell the readers that your beliefs do not have to be black and white – they can be full of gray areas. We are so polarized that we feel we must be on one side or another. You do not have to choose between being a Capitalist or a Socialist. You can implement both in your politics. You do not have to choose between being a liberal, centrist or conservative. You can implement all kinds of philosophy into your politics. Above all, I believe the most important thing you can do is listen to people and their stories.
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