Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. — Looking back on the past week of school, I’ve noticed my classmates are increasingly stressed and anxious about this year’s election.
It’s a monumental moment in history — the chance to have the first Black and South Asian woman president — or the risk that a dictator may enter office.
In my classes, I saw how people easily became tense at the thought of the election. People who couldn’t vote could only wonder about others who had the privilege to make a selection about the presidency.
Even prior to voting, any mention of the election was enough to stress many of my classmates out. Those who missed the cutoff were just unable to vote.
“Let’s not talk about the election,” one of my classmates said. “It’s stressing me out too much.”
It’s hard to acknowledge our general lack of power. I’m glad that we care enough in this election to get out the vote and make use of what political influence we have.
At the same time, the only dread that seems to surround us is the fear that Kamala Harris will lose.
Even after I turned in my ballot, I understood that my vote could not swing our country towards the future I desired. The polls tell of one thing: that the critical decisions will be made on election day, and only on election day.
My vote will impact my community, I’m sure. But nationally, we won’t know until weeks later.
Even in a state like Oregon, our anxiety is fueled by the worries that Donald Trump will swing a critical state like North Carolina and change the course of our country forever. Myths about a second stolen election could continue.
If he loses, the crisis in our nation surrounding the truth will not end because he plans to call this election a falsehood again. News driven by neo-Nazis and racist and sexist rhetoric is dominating the minds of young men feeling disenfranchised by our changing world.
And the myth that the 2020 election was “stolen” still lingers.
This falsehood is also creating a space for hate and violence. Ballot burning, fears of protests and threats seem to linger as we slowly race towards the finish line.
The solution to election anxiety is supposedly looking away from the news. But how can you look away when the polarizing heat of our country rises? When our country looks as if it’s going to tear itself apart due to the unaddressed history of racism and other societal ills.
We feel scared because that’s all we can see in this moment of darkness.
The only thing I can continue doing is learning — and praying that all will work out. I hope that we’ll light some more matches locally and nationally to slowly guide our nation back into the light of democracy. We must find a way to love each other while rediscovering a shared truth.
Yes, I’m an anxious teenager looking optimistically towards the future. I want to not feel anxious. But I hope that this year, we’ll make the right choice.
Dana Kim is a Senior Reporter with Youth Journalism International.
