This is the first election that Up North News’ editorial intern, Josh Skarda, will be able to vote in – here’s why this election is important to him as a member of Gen Z.
Growing up in Wisconsin’s Fox Cities as the child of a public elementary school teacher, I can still remember my parents taking me to march outside the state capitol building in 2011, protesting union-busting bills. As an eight-year-old, I couldn’t fully comprehend the importance of that protest – but the older I get, the more I’ve come to realize how formative that moment was for me.
Fast-forward a few years – I was 13 when Donald Trump was elected, and it served to open my eyes regarding our country’s troublesome political climate. In the eight years since, it feels like I’ve witnessed an entire lifetime of once-in-a-lifetime events – I was 16 when COVID-19 first shut the world down, I was 17 on January 6, and I was 18 when Roe v. Wade was overturned.
I know a lot of people my age who feel incredibly overwhelmed, exhausted, and jaded as a result of this onslaught of tragedy after tragedy – and trust me, I understand.
That being said, I truly believe that the worst thing that we can do is to let this defeat and demotivate us. It’s important in times like these to remind ourselves why we care in the first place – we care about our futures, we care about our communities and our neighbors, and we care about our loved ones. As a generation, we need to keep making our voices heard for a better tomorrow, no matter how much others try to push us down.
It makes my heart happy to see Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a former public high school teacher, running for office alongside Vice President Kamala Harris. The way that his former students talk about him reminds me of my father, and the impact he’s had on his community through being a public educator. It all takes me back to that protest on the steps of the state capitol in 2011 – there was a distinct divide between the union folks outside, and the suits inside. Walz makes me hopeful that we can start to bridge that divide.
In contrast, Trump is still hard-headed on worker’s rights issues – during a recent interview with Elon Musk, he told the billionaire that workers who go on strike should be fired. The United Auto Workers union has since filed federal charges against him on counts of unfair labor practices. His anti-labor track record goes back much further than this, as he staffed his cabinets and courts with anti-union figureheads and ruthlessly outsourced American jobs.
People might try to downplay the impact that members of Gen Z will have on this election, but the reality is: an estimated 8 million Americans will be eligible to vote for the first time in November. Our identities as active citizens of this country have been shaped by years of political turmoil, attacks on our human rights, and a deeply uncertain future.
I’m voting for the first time because I want a say in my future, and I want to make the decisions that I believe are best for my loved ones and my community. I refuse to be complacent in legislation that hurts public education and the working class, because we’re not going back to how it used to be.
All I ask is that you make your voice heard with me.
Are you ready to vote? Make sure to check your voter registration status, see who’s on your ballot, and make a voting plan here.
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