For the 60th time in American history, a presidential election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 5. In other words, half of the country will be happy when the next president is announced, and half of the country will be upset. Half of the country will act like the world will end if their candidate does not get elected. Just a reminder, it will not.
Former President Bill Clinton once said, “We all do better when we work together. Our differences do matter, but our common humanity matters more.”
In the past eight years, this sentiment has seemed to be thrown out of the water. Friendships and even family relationships have been torn apart purely based on what bubble they fill in on a ballot. This was prominent in 2016, and we were still living our own life in 2017. Although different in 2020 in the midst of a global pandemic, we all got through it and are still here today. Is it crazy to think that the president is not the most important person in our lives? I don’t think so.
Instead of fighting with the people we love about who should be president, we should fight for them. Instead of making social media posts supporting one candidate or bashing the other, post about someone who made you smile today. Post about your best friend who finally got their dream job. Repost your next-door neighbor’s message about trying to find their lost dog. Or even just send a message to one person close to you about how they have positively impacted your life. These people may not have the same beliefs as you, vote for the same candidate as you or even agree with you on any political matter. Instead, these are the people who can help you grow, not a leader in Washington D.C. who probably doesn’t know you exist.
This is not a message from me telling you that it does not matter at all who becomes the next president. Depending on who you are, there are laws that the president can sign or veto that help you and the people you know. This may be something that helps the company you work for or it may be a law that aligns with your spiritual beliefs. So go and vote for whoever you believe will help you most, whether it be Harris, Trump or an independent candidate.
Bridges should not be burned over a single decision made every four years, especially since it is unlikely a person will change their mind four years later. Instead, have meaningful conversations about who you vote for rather than meaningless arguments that end poorly for both sides.
Overall, everybody only has one life to live no matter who you are. You have a choice to make every day to respect your neighbors, friends, professors and whoever you call family. While you can always disagree with somebody, it is more important to be respectful while doing so. In the future when you cross paths with someone from your past, they will remember you by your character, not by your opinion.
