Harris provides obvious choice
The votes are in…almost. Tomorrow, citizens across the nation will yet again have the opportunity to elect the President of the United States of America. Anyone who’s taken a history class knows that the presidential election has always been, as it is today, a subject of intense debate among the people of our country.
There are a lot of characteristics I look for when considering candidates for any election. One of those is honesty. I want to know not only if they are truthful in speech but also in labor - is this candidate hard-working? Genuine? Moral and ethical? If they do not check the boxes, it increases the likelihood that the candidate is seeking election for personal gain, and electing them would invite the possibility of misconduct and scandal. If they do check the boxes, however, it points towards the candidate having a strong sense of integrity, an important quality in a leader.
In addition to integrity, I look at the candidate’s compatibility with the interests of American society. Do they have the skills required to both carry out the duties of office and follow through on their campaign promises? How will they achieve what is asked of them? Do they have the relevant skills and expertise to be qualified for such an esteemed position of leadership? Officially, per the Constitution, there are no requisite qualifications aside from age and citizenship status for presidential candidates, though I believe there is value in having experience in politics, public service or having a college degree.
Personal characteristics also influence an individual’s ability to lead. Many people consider charisma to be an important trait in a leader, and I would agree. To lead, your people should want to follow. It’s hard to earn the trust of an entire nation if you can’t capture an audience. Unfortunately, for many Americans it stops there, charm overshadows all other characteristics. I would argue that there are other, more important qualities to consider, such as one’s patience, professionalism and response to conflict. The US government runs on red tape - that is, implementing any policy requires diplomacy and patience. Does the candidate have the ability to work through things while having the ability to do it well? Can the candidate conduct discourse calmly, professionally, and effectively? Are they able to work through differences to enact policy for the benefit of the American people? If the answer to any of these questions is ‘No,’ I would argue that the candidate is not fit for office.
Ultimately, it boils down to this: would you want to work with this candidate as your boss? If not, why would you want to live with this candidate as your leader? In a workplace, the environment is most influenced by those who manage it. Most people would agree that it’s hard to work in a toxic environment. It’s hard to disagree that the political climate in our country today is toxic. The cost of living continues to rise while the right promises more tax cuts for the wealthy. Climate change hastens by the hour as Republicans push to poison our Great Lakes with another oil pipeline. Seven hundred thousand Americans are homeless, but what we really need is another Walmart. Millions of lives are at risk every day. For instance, I am one of many who navigate the world knowing that they could become the victim of hate-based violence. In 2023 alone, 14,000 Americans were subjected to ideological violence, according to justice.gov; more than half of crimes were racially motivated while just under a quarter were based on religion and about 19 percent were based on gender and sexuality. Queer teens in red states are 72% more likely to commit suicide where anti-trans laws have been implemented, according to doi.org. Teens without access to abortion are nearly 6% more likely to commit suicide if they become pregnant.
Human rights are on the line this year- medical rights, financial rights, basic privileges we’ve taken for granted for decades, that no one thought we’d have to defend in the 21st century. If you are 18, I implore you to show up tomorrow and cast a ballot- if you haven’t registered yet, you still have time. Hear me well - this generation deserves a shot at a happy, stable, prosperous life, just like everyone else. That’s all I want. I’m asking my country to find it in themselves to choose a leader willing to honor and defend the free people of the United States of America. To preserve the rights for which countless men, women, activists and service members have given their lives over the course of history to build us a future of life, liberty and happiness for all, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexuality or socioeconomic status. There are many things I don’t like about Kamala Harris, this is true of any candidate, but she is more than qualified to lead our country back into safety, and for that, she has my vote. If you still believe in the land of the free, I hope she’ll have yours too.
https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/hate-crime-statistics
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-01979-5
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9857811/
by GJ Zahner
Published November 4th, 2024
Oshkosh West Index Volume 121 Issue II