Donald Trump is the worst president the United States has ever had. This isn’t up for debate. He colluded with the Russian government to cheat the 2016 election. Eight of his close associates have been arrested or convicted for a wide variety of crimes. He’s allowed police to continue to murder innocent civilians. He’s allowed Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol to continue to commit crimes against humanity in immigrant detention camps. He has relentlessly attacked science, journalism, and even common sense. He’s currently sabotaging the postal service to stop people from voting while encouraging his supporters to illegally vote twice. From day one, he’s spewed a constant stream of lies and bigotry. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Joe Biden won’t be the worst president we’ve ever had. We know many young people don’t feel that Joe Biden represents them, many of us here at The Maroon feel the same way. But it’s obvious that he would be an infinitely better president than Trump. If he’s elected, he will revamp the U.S.’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic—which, so far under Trump, has been the worst in the world. He will allocate federal funding to help people recover from the pandemic. He will save the postal service from collapse. He will begin to address the climate crisis. He will push back against Trump’s attempts to make the United States a dictatorship.
Biden isn’t perfect, sure—no candidate would be. But he is what we need right now to get our country back on track. Many have protested the idea that we need to return to normalcy by pointing out that our pre-Trump “normal” had many problems of its own. That’s very true, and even after electing Biden, we need to keep pushing for change. But we need to put out the fire before we can start rebuilding the house. A Biden presidency isn’t an end goal, but it’s a giant leap in the right direction.
And he’ll do more than just repair the damage that Trump has done. He’ll raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour—something we desperately need to ensure that everyday workers can afford to live. He will work to eliminate the death penalty in keeping with Catholic beliefs about the sanctity of life. He promises to end separation of immigrant families and reverse the public charge rule. He wants to make two years of community college free for everyone and make public colleges and universities free for all families with incomes under $125,000. He is planning on a massive expansion of affordable housing programs.
And while his policies on criminal justice and policing aren’t nearly as progressive as many of us would like, it’s important to note that they are still some of the most progressive in U.S. history, from ending cash bail and the federal use of private prisons to using social services to respond to mental health crises and homelessness and expanding the role of the federal Justice Department in investigating police misconduct.
Most importantly, if Biden is elected, we will have a chance to make ourselves heard. It’s abundantly clear that Trump doesn’t care at all about the thoughts and opinions of the majority of the population. That will only get worse if he’s re-elected. If we elect Biden, we’ll be able to pressure him. We’ll be able to make him listen when we say we’re not satisfied with our government. That will never happen under Trump.
Also, there are thousands of other elections happening across the country on November 3. Even if you don’t feel inspired by Biden, you need to vote in your state and local elections. The good thing about having so many elections is that there are more opportunities for you to find someone who represents you. And while you’re voting, it doesn’t take any extra effort to vote for Biden too. You’ll be glad you did.
Even if you don’t care to vote for yourself, do it for the hundreds of thousands who can’t because they died under the Trump administration. Do it for those who are disenfranchised. Remember what it felt like in 2016, when most of us were too young to vote. Do it because the longer we wait to address climate change, the slimmer our chances of survival get. Vote for the kids who want to vote now, but are too young. We have a say now. Use it.
Young people’s votes matter so much more than many of us realize. Trump already lost the popular vote in 2016. This year, we just need to make sure he loses the electoral vote, too. One in ten eligible voters in this election will be in the 18-23 age range. We are the largest, most diverse generation in the history of this country. Change can’t happen without us.
So, please. Vote for Joe Biden.
Our lives depend on it.
Leo Thomas • Nov 2, 2020 at 12:24 am
I never usually comment on stuff like this but as someone who has been negatively affected by nearly everything trump has done, I want to put these alum in their place.
I’m a trans man who is also gay. Trump has taken and given providers the abilty to deny me for a condition I haven’t chosen. He also denied me access to the military. He has blatantly acted upon removing my rights to exist.
Trump actively works in favor of far right violent groups that aim to take away the rights of the people. If antifascists and Black Lives Matter protestors were violent, their violence is from years of suppression. It’s like kicking a dog for years and then being suprised when it bites back. You’re the fool for thinking anything else would happen.
Biden isn’t perfect. Harris isn’t either. But I would rather someone who has different politics than me to debate with rather than someone who believes I’m subhuman to tell me I don’t deserve to live.
That aforementioned point is primarily the reason Trump supporters don’t want debate. Debate is equal ground, beleiving that taxes should be used for roads is debate, believing that everyone deserves an equal opportunity is common human decency, and if you graduated from the jesuit tradition beleiving that Trump’s propoganda is somehow rational, then you didn’t listen.
People for and with others. It’s a simple concept you all didn’t seem to grasp.
Jon Strohmeyer • Oct 5, 2020 at 12:18 pm
Daniel, I appreciate your youthful enthusiasm for your political stance. Young people must begin to develop their ideas about the future of our country.
With that being said, I would suggest doing your homework before regurgitating liberal cable television talking points.
If you check with recent congressional inquiries, the entire Russia Collusion investigation showed that neither President Trump nor his campaign had any collusion with Russia. In fact,FBI documents that were declassified recently showed that Hillary Clinton began the Russian allegations to distract from her email investigation and the DMC used the debunked Steele Dossier to begin the framing of General Flynn and the spying on President Trump.
As for the “8 close associates” arrested or indicted, NONE of them had anything to do with the campaign. All 8 either received minor or no sentence at all. Most will be completely overturned because they were convicted by coercion.
Regarding President Trump “allowing police to CONTINUE to murder innocent civilians”. Is Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, and your own beloved New Orleans part of that jurisdiction? I have news for you. The police “murder” less than 1% of the “innocent civilians” killed in these DEMOCRATIC cities. These cities are failures. The police are not the problem. The criminals are the problem. Citizens kill citizens. President Trump has NOTHING to do with local jurisdictions, but the democratic mayors do. Speaking of mayors, Portland, Seattle, Chicago and New York mayors refuse to enforce law and order. When Antifa and Black Lives Matter burn, loot, assault and murder, they turn their heads. The democratic mayors, city council and governors fear these hate groups and therefore their law abiding citizens suffer. The democrats at the Democratic National Convention did not address these criminals even once. They called them “peaceful protests”. They condoned it in fact.
ICE commits crimes against humanity? Parents sending unaccompanied children over the border as many of the immigrants do—that is the crime against humanity. Traveling with your family on foot with no known destination other than “free food, free residence” is a crime against humanity. No country on earth has open borders. And to be clear, there is NO evidence, other than MSNBC talking points, that there was any wrong doing by the border patrol.
Once again, the Post Office. There is zero indication, other than MSNBC accusations for political reasons, that the post office was “sabotaged”.
A President Biden, first of all will last all of one year at best as he is mentally incapable of performing the presidency, so President Harris will be your president. She is an angry racist who dropped out of the democratic primary FIRST with less than 2% of the voters.
President Harris will NOT do anything differently with COVID because there isn’t anything else to do, unless she wants to close down the country, effectively crushing our country due to a virus with a less than .01% mortality.
President Harris will raise the minimum wage against the wishes of all business owners. This will raise prices and cause many employees to be laid off or made part time. Be careful of unintended consequences.
President Harris will carry through with the Green New Deal. If you are not familiar with that you might look into it. Costing over $100 TRILLION, it would break our economy. Any you would have no airlines to fly you back to DFW.
President Harris would eliminate the Electoral College–put into place by Thomas Jefferson to protect the minority.
President Harris would pack the Supreme Court. Thereby changing an institution just to make it lean liberal.
President Harris would socialize medicine. You’re too young and naive to know but Canada’s and Europe’s socialized medicine has become mediocre. Anyone who has the ability, has private medicine. A two tiered system, the very thing they were trying to avoid in the first place, is exactly what they have.
President Harris will make universities free. NOTHING IS FREE. If universities are “free” per the government, that means that the government will control them. Can you figure that out? The government will dictate where you go and what you study. Anytime the government says something is free, they’re stealing money from someone else.
President Trump has done more for this country, blacks, whites, and hispanics than any of his recent predecessors, and particularly President Obama who inflamed tensions rather than improve them.
You see Daniel, the United States is based on our constitution and based on Natural Laws, not human laws. Our Constitution is supported by Law and Order. LAW AND ORDER PROTECTS YOU AND I. We have freedom and liberty which necessarily require discipline and responsibility. These two words are something that everyone knows to be important but the democratic party will NEVER MENTION. If you think that socialism, like USSR, CHINA, Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea is something you’d like to experience, I’d suggest you live there before condemning “we the people” to that torture.
Keep up the enthusiasm
Jon Strohmeyer • Oct 2, 2020 at 9:50 pm
Daniel, I appreciate your youthful enthusiasm for your political stance. Young people must begin to develop their ideas about the future of our country.
With that being said, I would suggest doing your homework before regurgitating liberal cable television talking points.
If you check with recent congressional inquiries, the entire Russia Collusion investigation showed that neither President Trump nor his campaign had any collusion with Russia. In fact,FBI documents that were declassified recently showed that Hillary Clinton began the Russian allegations to distract from her email investigation and the DMC used the debunked Steele Dossier to begin the framing of General Flynn and the spying on President Trump.
As for the “8 close associates” arrested or indicted, NONE of them had anything to do with the campaign. All 8 either received minor or no sentence at all. Most will be completely overturned because they were convicted by coercion.
Regarding President Trump “allowing police to CONTINUE to murder innocent civilians”. Is Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, and your own beloved New Orleans part of that jurisdiction? I have news for you. The police “murder” less than 1% of the “innocent civilians” killed in these DEMOCRATIC cities. These cities are failures. The police are not the problem. The criminals are the problem. Citizens kill citizens. President Trump has NOTHING to do with local jurisdictions, but the democratic mayors do. Speaking of mayors, Portland, Seattle, Chicago and New York mayors refuse to enforce law and order. When Antifa and Black Lives Matter burn, loot, assault and murder, they turn their heads. The democratic mayors, city council and governors fear these hate groups and therefore their law abiding citizens suffer. The democrats at the Democratic National Convention did not address these criminals even once. They called them “peaceful protests”. They condoned it in fact.
ICE commits crimes against humanity? Parents sending unaccompanied children over the border as many of the immigrants do—that is the crime against humanity. Traveling with your family on foot with no known destination other than “free food, free residence” is a crime against humanity. No country on earth has open borders. And to be clear, there is NO evidence, other than MSNBC talking points, that there was any wrong doing by the border patrol.
Once again, the Post Office. There is zero indication, other than MSNBC accusations for political reasons, that the post office was “sabotaged”.
A President Biden, first of all will last all of one year at best as he is mentally incapable of performing the presidency, so President Harris will be your president. She is an angry racist who dropped out of the democratic primary FIRST with less than 2% of the voters.
President Harris will NOT do anything differently with COVID because there isn’t anything else to do, unless she wants to close down the country, effectively crushing our country due to a virus with a less than .01% mortality.
President Harris will raise the minimum wage against the wishes of all business owners. This will raise prices and cause many employees to be laid off or made part time. Be careful of unintended consequences.
President Harris will carry through with the Green New Deal. If you are not familiar with that you might look into it. Costing over $100 TRILLION, it would break our economy. Any you would have no airlines to fly you back to DFW.
President Harris would eliminate the Electoral College–put into place by Thomas Jefferson to protect the minority.
President Harris would pack the Supreme Court. Thereby changing an institution just to make it lean liberal.
President Harris would socialize medicine. You’re too young and naive to know but Canada’s and Europe’s socialized medicine has become mediocre. Anyone who has the ability has private medicine. A two tiered system, the very thing they were trying to avoid in the first place, is exactly what they have.
President Harris will make universities free. NOTHING IS FREE. If universities are “free” per the government, that means that the government will control them. Can you figure that out? The government will dictate where you go and what you study.
President Trump has done more for this country, blacks, whites, and hispanics than any of his recent predecessors, and particularly President Obama who inflamed tensions rather than improve them.
You see Daniel, the United States is based on our constitution and based on Natural Laws, not human laws. Our Constitution is supported by Law and Order. LAW AND ORDER PROTECTS YOU AND I. We have freedom and liberty which necessarily require discipline and responsibility. These two words are something that everyone knows to be important but the democratic party will NEVER MENTION. If you think that socialism, like USSR, CHINA, Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea is something you’d like to experience, I’d suggest you live there before condemning “we the people” to that torture.
Keep up the enthusiasm
Alum '07 • Oct 2, 2020 at 12:19 pm
Worst president ever and it’s not even debatable? You need to pick up a history book.
May I suggest a few worse candidates:
Jimmy Carter stagflation
Nixon – Vietnam
Johnson – ditto
Herbert Hoover – president before Great Depression
James Buchanan – President before Civil War
Andrew Jackson – Trail of Tears anyone?
Bunch of other candidtates that the history buffs could discuss. I got no problem with your article but come on. Do a little more indepedent thinking and a little less copy/paste of the Democratic party line.
Side note: Saying that an opinion is not even open for the debate is the exact opposite of what this country needs right now.