I waited 18 years for this? I was always excited for the opportunity to vote, and have been anxiously waiting for my 18th birthday since I found out my first time voting would be during the presidential election cycle. However, even before I had the right to vote, I’ve always tried to stay informed and involved in our elections. I would go to political rallies with my grandma and watch debates ever since the 2012 election between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. From an early age, I’d find myself watching videos of old speeches from candidates in prior elections, and recaps of the results. Civic responsibility can be something that is hard to practice at an early age, but educating myself on the past is one way I could better prepare for the future. However, after voting in the primaries, and approaching the general election Nov. 3rd, I am left with one question; Is it always like this?

I have always been a big fan of Saturday Night Live and their political satire, but I did not expect them to air their skit in place of the first presidential debate. Seriously, I was waiting for Chris Wallace to look into the camera saying, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!” With the constant bickering back and forth, cutting each other off before the other could finish, and raising their voices to see who could be the loudest, it was obvious that neither Biden nor Trump had ever participated in a Socratic seminar. Regardless of your political affiliation, or if you are independent, there is no way you walked away from that debate with a greater appreciation for the candidate you support, or a change/decision in who you would vote for. The consistent mudslinging throughout the campaign increases to low blows, from Trump attacking Biden’s son, to Biden calling Trump a racist. It’s as if this election is less about proving why you are the best candidate, but more about showing why the other is the worst candidate. Perhaps this is how it always is, and I’ve just been oblivious to it all until this point. However, the key component I see missing in this nasty election is respect. Respect isn’t shown between the two candidates, and respect isn’t given by the people to these candidates. I understand that respect isn’t given and must be earned, and that both candidates have done things that are far from respectable. However, a basic level of respect should be given to people who are wanting to hold the highest office in the land. It is possible to criticize and challenge others, whether that may be your opponent or leader, while still showing them respect.

I’d like to end this rather negative piece on a positive note. While many cry out in fear that this election might end democracy as we know it, and others wish for another choice besides two sub-par options, I believe we as a country will be just fine. As polarized as we’ve become politically, divided by party and the candidates in which we support, I think we’ve forgotten something very important; regardless if Democrat or Republican, most of us want what’s best for the United States. We just have disagreements on the means used to achieve this “best” for everyone. So while we will all have our disagreements come Election Day regarding which bubble we fill in, we must not only show respect, but remember we all want the same thing: the best for our great nation.