I don't know if anyone else heads are spinning or if they feel the same sense of anger and disappointment as I do in the state of the Democratic party, specifically, the two remaining candidates. In the words of my grandmother, "How are we down to two old white men vying for the Democratic nomination? Ugh!"
It all comes down to the people that we, as citizens, choose to exercise our right to support and vote for. But I'm having trouble believing, that as students on a pretty liberal campus, that people are simply satisfied with the options of Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. Over the last few weeks, I've downloaded and deleted my Twitter app 10 times, and found myself shedding tears over the lack of diversity and progressiveness of candidates and the toxicity coming from all sides of the party.
Shouldn't all Democrat-identifying people be on the same side? After all, isn't everyone aligning towards one goal, beating Donald Trump?
I think the real problem stems from a lack of open-mindedness on all sides. It's exactly the same mindset that got Trump elected in the first place. To be all in, to be "Bernie or Bust" or "Biden or Bust," is a waste of energy. It's the reason why Elizabeth Warren, a progressive candidate with fleshed-out policy plans and a stellar political career, was forced out of the race so early, when she had the potential to be the unity candidate the party has so desperately been hoping for.
So, what can we, as college students who are being sent home due to Coronavirus and who are probably not thinking too hard about the election, be doing to help? Why should we care?
If the past few weeks have taught us anything, its that pushing for a more inclusive and affordable healthcare system is absolutely necessary. Not everyone in America has access to healthcare, and with a pandemic going on, this can be detrimental to poorer, uninsured Americans. Take this time at home, over spring break, or in between your online classes to push the Democratic party to be better. Educate yourself on Biden and Sanders and their proposed policies and platforms. Read about why there's such a large push now for a female VP. Go beyond reading news articles on Twitter and support a candidate you believe in, whether it be through donation of money or time.
We are the generation that has the mindset and capability to redefine the Democratic party as progressive, and that comes from more than policy. It begins and ends with mindset and willingness to participate in the Democracy that we're all lucky to have a voice in. Step up, and use yours.
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