At the top of this election week, I’m filled with cautious optimism for America’s future. Kamala Harris has woken up, pulled back in, and energized many voters who, like myself, were filled with apathy, exhaustion, and frustration toward the government. I was enraptured with her promises of down payment assistance for first-time home buyers, inflation reduction, continued investment in the charge for billionaires to pay their fair share (or more), and reproductive freedom. These policy plans resonate deeply within me and paint a vivid picture of the America I desperately want to exist in.
Yet, as I pour my energy into the fight for this future, I grapple with the imperfections of the political landscape. No president can ever be without flaws, and critique is always warranted. Specifically, Kamala Harris’ inability to break from the American War Machine to make waves toward ending diplomatic ties to Israel and adequately addressing arms embargoes and cease-fires is disconcerting and appalling.
Despite my frustrations, I find it hard to align myself with The Green Party, which hasn’t seen a victory in Congress since 2009 and is led by a candidate who, like Donald Trump, is on their third ticket as a presidential candidate. I question the Green Party’s ability to incite change when their congressional strategy is slightly elusive. This is not to say that an independent party could never receive my vote. In fact, in Congress, state, and local elections, I would love to give a liberal independent party that aligns with my progressive thoughts.
Due to their recent captivation of the genocide Gaza is experiencing at the hands of Israel, I look forward to when The Green Party makes its mark in Congress, challenging the very epicenter of the war machine they’ve built the entire 2024 campaign around. They hold the power to approve budgets, declare wars, and escalate armed forces worldwide.
I am working my way back to believing Americans, inside and outside of the government, can continue to challenge the status quo and redefine what it means to champion freedom and equality for all. So, I voted for Harris/Walz last week. I believe in her and the democratic party to do exactly what the democratic party tends to do. Which is to maintain a status quo internationally while giving small concessions to the people of color who are the backbone of their constituency.
“You need to have your feet firmly planted in the world as it is, and your eyes need to be able to look at a horizon towards a world as you want it to be.” - Maurice Mitchell, the National Director of the Working Families Party.
Photo by Jermaine Thomas, II Model: Kalexa Lyles Stylist: Neena Allen
Comments