Next Steps: Moving Past the 2020 Presidential Election

Deep breaths...we all need them. 

A deep one in because the presidential election is over, and a deep one out also because the presidential election is over.

The 2020 presidential election season was chaotic, to say the least. It will go down in history, along with the many other events that have made 2020 historic.

Who you wanted as president may or may not have been elected. You could be ecstatic. You could be banging your head against the wall. There seems to be little in-between, or at least that’s what Twitter shows. 

But putting personal feelings aside for a minute, the fact we live in a democracy, where we the citizens just participated in our country’s 59th presidential election, is pretty awesome. The progress and actions of the United States have aided and inspired other nations to push for change. 

While unified under the name “Americans,” it has been hard to walk arm and arm with people who have different political opinions than your own for the past few months.  

Let’s take these next steps in our country’s history together, as a unified nation.

There are individual actions we each need to take and commit to. Whether or not the candidate you voted for won, there are three truths we need to recognize:

1. You may like or dislike our president and vice president, but while that is at an individual level, we can all respect the offices being held. 

2. There will always be people with different opinions than yours. Trying to understand the whys behind those opinions will help everyone.

3. At the end of the day, we are all Americans. We may vary individually on the best way to get things done, but we all have a common denominator. 

Putting your best foot forward is how the country moves forward. Unreasonable arguing has never moved anything forward in a positive way. By giving your best effort at kind conversations to those who think differently than you, on a personal level, you can grow to understand these other points of view. Understanding leads to healthy conversations and helping others also understand your own opinions and views.

With these next steps forward comes a responsibility. Again, whether you do or do not like the outcomes of this presidential election, you have a chance to shape history every day.

You can convince your friends and family who do not really pay attention to politics or national/international issues to do so. The more people seek knowledge, the more people care. You can also encourage people to register to vote if they are not already registered. Some states have it easy enough to register online, and there are plenty of sites to check if you are registered for those who are unsure. 

Getting people involved is how you create change. Educate yourself and others on both sides of the aisle, and encourage them to form their own opinions, free of judgment. People are willing to talk and take action when they don’t feel scrutinized for their opinions and views. 

The election is over. The election they say is the one of our lifetime has been put away. Now, we can move forward and continue to create and decide history. Individual actions create large-scale change, and like my mom says: if you don’t vote and do your part, you have no room to complain. 

Article Written by Kathleen Bratton