With the presidential election less than a year away, Democrats have come out of the woodworks to run against President Trump in 2020.
There has never been a female president nor a Latino president or one that is a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
As of Mar. 25, there are five women, one Latino candidate and five candidates of color in the running for president.
With so many candidates vying for the presidency, this can be a really good thing or it could implode before it even gets started.
Candidates, such as Bernie Sanders and Beto O’Rourke, already have fan bases behind them and supporters that are going to vote for them no matter what.
I do not think that voters should have their hearts set on a candidate automatically just because they have high hopes for them. What if this candidate happens to drop out of the race completely? The voters could just lose hope in the U.S. and not vote at all.
The downside of the amount of Democrats wanting the highest position of office is that people could be turned off by a woman being president or an openly gay man. It is tough to admit, but unfortunately, it is the truth.
I do not think that voters should give up on the outcome of the election entirely because of who is running.
It is still very early; candidates who were eager to announce their run could just as easily drop out of the race.
What is just as important of the 2020 presidential election is going out and placing a vote.
Turning 18 means so many things, and one is getting the chance to vote. It is the opportunity of having your voice heard.
Now, this generation is adamant that their voices are NOT being heard.
If our voices are not being heard then make the change to have our voices heard. Take it upon yourself to educate, not just yourself, but your friends as well.
Do not just vote for someone this upcoming election because of your parents or because a candidate aligns with what you think.
More times than not, as children, we are just following what we see our parents doing. This includes politics.
Find a library, reliable sources or whatever computer you can find that has an Internet connection and begin your research right now.
In order to have your voice heard, you have to put in the work. I think that one of the main reasons that this generation is overlooked is because we are unable to put in the work.
Like Nike says, “Just do it.” Put in the work and everything else will follow afterwards. Campaigns have begun, debates will follow shortly after and then, 2020 will be here before we know it.
Yes, it is still very early in the race, but finding out what you can now is better than waiting until the last minute when you are casting a vote for president.
Encourage your friends to register to vote. Voting for the first time is not just casting a vote and getting a sticker. Voting is learning about the candidates, what their policies are, their reasons for running for the presidency.
As we go through the rollercoaster that will be the presidential election, take into consideration who you have your eye on. That may change in the months to come, but for now, find out what you can on your number one candidate; find out why they are running, keep up with them throughout their campaign, follow any social media you can find.
This could be a historical election. The first step is learning about the candidates. There are a lot, and maybe there will be more as the process goes along, but for now, let your voice be heard. Educate yourself on the 15 candidates that are in the running for the presidency.
Most importantly, and I cannot stress this enough, vote. Your vote is the chance to make a difference and have your voice heard. In the words of the great Sam Cooke, “A change is gonna come.” Let that change begin right now.
