Flashing back to November 6th, 2016, the night Donald Trump was elected. That morning when I woke up with tears in my eyes. I was wondering “how did this happen?” it was like I was waking up into a nightmare.
I am sure I was not alone in this feeling, and I think people still feel this way. People do not even want to listen to the news because they fear what they may see from our president. And a year after his inauguration, people are counting down the days till he will be out of office or by finding anything against him to get him out of that office.
While I think President Trump is a menace to democracy and to everything good the United States stands for and what has happened in the past year seems like the world might as well just end, but we cannot lose our hope. All though this seems like the absolute worst period in American history to us, let’s be real, we made it through a civil war where Americans were killing each other, the Great Depression where over 30% of America was unemployed, and through all that I think we can make it through this. Here are some of the reasons I see so much hope and light in the future of our country:
1. More women are running from office than ever before.
This 2018 election coming up will be record-setting because more women are running for seats in the US Congress. According to The Telegraph, 374 women are seeking seats in the house of representatives and 42 are trying to reach the Senate. There will finally be a time where women can speak for our rights and make the right decisions for us.
2. Millennials are the most-educated generation America has ever seen.
There are two big factors that play a role in determining political participation and that is education and income. We have an increased political participation, and we are the largest generation. Unfortunately, 18-24-year-olds have the lowest voter turnout, but we could make a big difference if we went out and voted! It takes a few minutes to register to vote and request absentee ballots if you want to vote in the elections where you live, there are no excuses. We are the group with the most people power and if we use it right things can be different.
3. Anger is being turned into activism.
Not only are millennials getting involved, but across party lines and ages people are getting off the couch and getting out there. If you want your voices heard, speak loud enough. People have been marching at airports, campuses, the women’s march that happened all over the nation, more people are joining organizations, becoming more involved in their local elections and an increase in a subscription to newspapers.
4. Remind yourself that Trump cannot obliterate the world at any given moment.
A quick government lesson is that the President cannot do whatever he wants! Remind yourself that the government is three separate institutions sharing power equally, and while Trump can issue an executive order is an exception to that, the Supreme Court determines its constitutionality and can block the order. Also, no revolutions or extreme changes can happen during his presidency, the government tends to remain status quo and for something to change it takes a very long time, which is a really good thing for the stability of it.
The older generations can bash on millennials all they want. Regardless of party lines, I think we are the brightest, most self-driven, passionate group of people to exist. As more millennials graduate college and build their careers in politics and other areas I am so excited to see what we will do and how we will forever change the United States as a group and I think that is something I am so excited to see as I get older.