The race to the 2020 election has been one of the most intense campaigns in recent history, resulting in some of the highest voter turnouts this nation has ever seen. After all the blood, sweat and tears that came from campaigners, protesters and representatives alike, America has been through a whirlwind of emotions while the people made their voices heard all while dealing with a global pandemic.
The aftermath of President Trump’s administration wrought President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. This election has been historic for so many reasons, such as the previously mentioned voter turnout, but it also marks the oldest president the nation has seen, breaking Trump’s record of 74 years old since Biden is 77.
Another historical element of the election is that our new Vice President-elect, Kamala Harris, will be the first woman, the first Black, and the first South Asian to hold her position. Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, is also set to become the first “second gentleman” and the first Jewish spouse of a president or vice president. The diverse representation of the first and second American families is so beautiful and unlike the abominable garbage fire that became of the Trump administration. The Biden administration fills me with optimistic joy for this incredible country as I can once again proudly declare I am an American.
We have seen many displays of disgusting hate these last four years under the president’s watch, such as the Parkland shooting killing 18 innocent students in the middle of a school day, the Tree of Life synagogue shooting killing 11 people in the middle of prayer, the Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival shooting killing 58 people and wounding more than 500, the First Baptist Church shooting killing 26 people in the middle of praying, Santa Fe High School shooting killing 10 people right before graduation, the Proud Boys white supremacist group founded in 2016, the Thousand Oaks shooting killing 12 people, El Paso Walmart shooting killing 22 people and the infamous Charlottesville march “Unite the Right” spewing racist hate speech chanting “Jews will not replace us” as well as anti-Muslim and anti-Black speech led by the KKK.
This is not okay. Trump has undoubtedly failed this nation too many times.
The failure that was Trump’s atrocious attempt at being the leader of the free world made advocacy necessary with movements and strikes such as the Me Too movement, the Black Lives Matter movement, March for Our Lives, the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and climate strikes. There has been a collective increase of activism throughout the U.S.
As a Latino-Jewish-American, I have experienced — and sometimes still do — fear for my security in this country as there is so much blatant hate. Will I be just a nameless victim of a school or nightclub shooting? Will I get gunned down at temple while I pray? Will a racist’s violence take my mother from me just for looking the way she does? I pray that Biden’s administration will be different, and even though I have many fears, the words of our new leader inspire my hope for a greater America.
