Being on the Outside of the Political Landscape | Teen Ink

Being on the Outside of the Political Landscape

January 13, 2017
By bbbbrink BRONZE, Baltimore, Maryland
bbbbrink BRONZE, Baltimore, Maryland
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Throughout this entire election cycle, people have picked sides and drew lines in the sand. This is a usual sequence that occurs every four years. From picking sides for a parties’ nominee to picking the president, this is a custom in our bipartisan system of democracy. But unlike other elections, the toxicity and blatant mob mentality that occurred during 2016 and parts of 2015 were unseen before. Unlike others, this election created extreme divides in families, social groups, workplaces, and the American people as a whole. Instead of arguing your case in a mild manner, people went to extremes for their course, or against the opposition’s. You had people choose Trump. You had people choose Hilary. Some of those were educated, some weren’t even close. With the enormous spectacle of the election, this choice wasn’t limited to just voters either. People who couldn’t vote like myself, and almost every student in my school made their choice. They drew their lines. They felt whatever emotion when Donald J. Trump was voted president-Elect, and the far-reaching results of the decision made its impact on the American masses. The riots and protests were seen all throughout news outlets. These were predominantly performed by voters who had voted for the losing team. But even then, people of the younger generation, of my age, felt these same emotions as the protesters. Like I had said earlier, their choices had been made as well, and with making a decision, they either felt anger, fear, and sadness, or excitement, hope, and relief. Every one of those under aged people voted, even though not one counted. This sediment brings me then to my point. While my school mates may be feeling some of the emotions I had previously mentioned, people like me felt nothing towards this election or the choices made. When this process started, I was along for the ride. When it ended, the ride finished, and I stepped off. What was a massive and important decision for most (including those who had no say in the matter), the election was nothing more than an event that I was tired of hearing about. I saw, felt, and dealt with both parties, and over the past few months, I looked at both with a neutral perspective because I knew, in the end, it wouldn’t matter. Why get attached to something this seriously, if I knew my say didn’t matter. It may matter in the future, but here in the present, it does not. Whatever the decision that was on November 8th, 2016, I would be and stay unfazed by it. While others cried or cheered, I shrugged my shoulder nonchalantly, waiting to see what happened next. Donald Trump may be a good president. He may also very well be a bad one. The only way this can be seen, though, is by waiting and watching, which many are, sadly, not willing to do. Many (far too many honestly) are keeping themselves on a ride that should have needed months ago, while others, like myself, are sitting on the sideline, watching it go on, and on, and on.



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