What issues matter to you the most in this election? Why?
The issues that are most important to me would be LGBTQ+ rights, abortion and also the accusation of illegal immigrants crossing the border when they are not. Also, the economy, inflation and science matter to me.
How do those issues connect to your life and the lives of those you care about?
As a woman, abortion is very near and dear to my heart, since you never know what could happen. I think it’s important [that] women have control of their body and can make their own choices. LGBTQ+ [rights are] just basic human rights, and if there are going to be laws that keep people from loving who they love, that is not okay.
When did you first start caring about these issues? Was there an event that happened or a conversation you had that piqued your interest?
In second grade, our teacher would put up a poll—like cats or dogs, only child or siblings. One day, she put up Hillary or Trump. That was when I was first exposed to politics. I didn’t know what to put; I was in second grade. One of my friends put down Trump, but my parents had told me stuff about Hillary. She’s a woman, and we haven’t had a woman president yet. So, I put Hillary, mostly because that’s what my parents always talked about. My friend came over to me, and she [said], “Did you know Hillary wants to kill babies?” I was like, “What?” She told me, “Yeah, my mom’s pregnant right now, and if Hillary was president, she would kill my mom’s baby.” I felt so bad for saying Hillary because I thought, “Oh my gosh, my friend’s little sister is gonna get killed if Hillary’s in office.” That shows the misinformation spread by parents for a kid at such a young age because she’s not going to kill her baby; that’s not what abortion rights are at all.
If you could take a class on one or more of these issues or dig deeper through your own research, what else would you want to know? What questions would you want answered?
I would truly want to know the thought process behind a supporter of someone with bad intentions for our country. I would like to know what goes through their mind when they choose to support someone who says such horrible things about innocent people and minorities.
What issues do other young people around you seem to be concerned with, whether you agree with them or not? In other words, when your friends and classmates are discussing something politics-related, what’s the conversation usually about?
With my friends, usually it’s joking. Sometimes they talk about the economy, and I hear a lot of Trump supporters talk about how Biden ruined the economy—how the economy was at an all-time low with Biden in office and how inflation was at an all-time high. I think that’s the main topic I hear Trump supporters talking about. With Harris supporters, mostly it’s how “Trump supporters are bad,” but it’s also about how she’s putting good things in our world.
Do you think people your age can affect meaningful change regarding these issues? Why or why not? Have you ever taken any steps to try to address these problems?
Young people can get involved and are getting involved. I see teenage and pre-teen campaigners who are supporting politics. I think it’s easy for teens to share their opinions, even if sometimes they are overlooked. Their voices are still heard and valued, especially as the next generation of voters. Their voice has a say.
Have you been following the presidential race? Do you know where the two candidates, former President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, stand on your issues? Which candidate, if either, do you think will make positive changes to the things you care about? Why?
Current Vice President Harris has my best interests in mind. She also has the interests of others that maybe might not be as relevant to me, but I agree with her. Trump doesn’t like gay people, and he thinks trans people are bad, and he says that they’re aliens. “They’re transgender aliens in the prisons.” Harris is much more down to earth and connected with the people. Everyone should have freedom and rights, [but] I think Trump does not want everybody to have freedom and rights. He thinks only people who are like him, [like] straight white men, should have rights. Harris is a lot more inclusive.
Do you think young voters will be energized by the 2024 election? Do you predict that they will be motivated to vote this year? Why or why not?
There has been a lot of TikTok and Instagram outreach by the Harris team, [which] does help motivate viewers. [Young voters] care about their future; they care about everybody’s rights because teenagers are more woke than 70-year-old men and women. Teenagers are very woke, so I think their wokeness will help them see the right way to freedom and liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
