Let me preface this by saying that I am not going to be handing out facts and numbers. I am literally just going to unload the feelings I have about this directly to you, my reader.
First of all: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Okay, that feels much better. I have been writing little notes and sections since I returned home from voting on Tuesday. While I am a social studies and history teaching major (with a possible emphasis in political science), I know absolutely nothing. Young adult literature teaching doesn’t teach you how the electoral college works. Human biology won’t discuss the merits of ranked-choice voting. Multimodal composition and literacies won’t explain the process of voter suppression.
I. Know. Nothing.
I do know that I’m a little pissed off though.
I have been dreading the results since I heard Biden was running. I am considered a Democrat by literally everyone—and I tend to vote for the Democratic candidate—but I really hate the two-party system.
The two-party system is what led to us having to make the choice between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
Both of these men kind of suck.
Like a lot.
One of them seems to be open to not sucking; the other one endorsed white supremacists during the broadcasted Presidential Debate.
But that doesn’t mean I was excited to vote for Biden.
It means I decided that Joe Biden was less likely to take away my rights and those of my friends, peers, and community.
I decided Joe Biden was less likely to allow the overturn of the supreme court’s 2015 ruling in favor of same-sex couples and their right to marry. I decided Joe Biden was less likely to promote the overturning of Roe v. Wade—which would lead to a slippery slope that could cause things like birth control to be banned in certain states—and a woman’s right to choose. I decided Joe Biden was less likely to allow systematic racism to continue oppressing people of color, at least, if he wanted re-election, that is.
Yes, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have had their hands in the oppression discussed above, but their political futures now depend on their ability to do the right thing. Donald Trump has been telling literal white terrorists to “stand back and stand by” on television. His political future doesn’t depend on doing right by anyone. Biden/Harris can be swayed, and they can be reasoned with. It is now their job to not suck.
So yes, we need to continue protesting, signing petitions, and making it clear that we hate the ideals this country runs on.
But it is okay to take a collective sigh of relief that we now have the chance.
Take a moment to celebrate, relax and feel less endangered.
But then we need to get back to work.