My dad introduced me to the world of politics back in middle school. He always encouraged me to watch the news with him, to learn about the politicians mentioned in the news cycle and to try and understand the policies being brought up by various political parties.
I was dismissive at first, not really caring about the hot topics of the time on television. When I did watch, I actually just wanted to escape from doing my homework.
However, as a child whose political awareness began during the Obama administration, I began to see a growing division of racial injustice in America. This led me to observe politics much more often, as I was beginning to be exposed to the many problems plaguing the country today.
Perhaps it was remembering those issues and thinking of today’s current ones that led me to listen to former Vice President Joe Biden speak at the University at Buffalo’s Distinguished Speaker Series last week.
Security was in full force for the event. Attendees had their bags searched and persons checked—a response to the pipe bombs sent to Biden and to CNN only hours earlier.
However, despite having his life threatened the same day, seeing the racial divide in this country, hearing issues regarding sexual assault and understanding the problems that concern many Americans, Biden remained optimistic.
“We must choose hope over fear. Truth over lies. Hope and history rise, along with dignity and respect,” Biden said.
Biden noted more women are running for office as he spoke about U.S. achievements.
“There are more women of both parties running for elected office, local, state and national, than at any time in our country’s history,” Biden said.
He also said that as Americans, “We’ve been through much worse,” referencing the National Guard shooting at Kent State University in 1970, as well as both Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy’s assassinations in 1968.
I wish I could have the same optimism as Biden because, I admit, I am still fearful. Though the list of U.S. accomplishments he gave may be the wave of positivity that the country needs, it seems as many steps the U.S. takes forward, it takes multiple steps back.
U.S. progressive movements constantly combat the American Pandora’s box of fearmongering, blatant racism and “othering” of disenfranchised groups of people, negativity that has always been present.
Knowing that one’s sexual orientation or identity, one’s skin color, one’s religion or false stereotypes could possibly lead to one’s inability to vote, to live a decent life or to be simply seen as a regular human being is scary.
As a black female who has LGBTQ friends and goes to a university that embraces diversity with its international student population, I can’t help but be fearful about my life and the lives of others around me due to the current socio-political climate. As tempting as it is to revert back to my middle school self and brush off politics after taking in all these problems, I don’t believe Americans like myself who would like to see a difference have the luxury to ignore the political realm.
It would be nice if, as Americans, we can reunite the bipartisan communication Biden said he and the rest of his Democrats had with Republicans during his time in the U.S. Senate. It would be nice for us to “figure out the other person’s perspective and be less judgmental,” but it is going to take a lot of time and healing to make us united in these states.
By Amber Levias, Contributing Writer
amberlev@buffalo.edu
