Showing posts with label election. Show all posts

The Year The World Went Crazy

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I was discussing my blog with someone recently, and they referred to it as 'light reading'. Overall, they were very complimentary, and told me how much they admired me for doing what I do. My blog, by and large, is designed to be a light read - my musings on fashion, art, social trends and media. I occasionally comment on issues beyond my normal realm such as politics. For example, I wrote this piece in June, asking why 16 year olds weren't given a vote in the EU referendum. 

 I acknowledge that this isn't normally a space where I make profound revelations about philosophy, or discuss the inner mechanics of the human mind. However I'd like to think that when I delve into heavier issues, my blog is becomes more than 'light reading'. 

That brings me to the present day. On Wednesday the 9th of November, 2016, Donald Trump was elected as President of the United States. And the global reaction was huge. There was shock, tears, anger, fear. Somewhere in the world, I'm sure there were cheers, hugs, smiles, celebrations. It's the former bracket of reactions which I fell into. 

I can't pretend to be fully versed in politics, but I'm by no means ignorant. Although there are sporadic elements of politics on my blog, I almost feel it would be wrong to go on without commenting on this. It is a monumental event in history, and who knows what the repercussions will be.

All I can say is that I'm scared. I'm scared for women, people of colour, Muslims, the LGBTQA+ community, Mexicans, and all those who don't fit into what is considered by Trump and his followers as normal. I'm scared that a man who has been accused of sexual assault by over 20 women can be elected into one of the most powerful positions in the world. It seems progress that has been made over the last few years in terms of rights for women, the LGBTQA+ community, and so many more, is in jeopardy and at risk of being reversed. That is the most scary prospect of all. 

I'm also sad. It seems if it had gone the other way, women's rights and overall position in society would have made a leap ahead. Had the US elected it's first female President, it would have been an empowering social milestone. Regardless of what you think of her politics, the UK has Theresa May, its second female Prime Minister. 2016 could have been the year of female leaders. I'm deeply disappointed and saddened that we're not going to have a female President (at least for the next four years). 

I'm going to remember exactly where I was when the US election result came in. And I'm going to do the same for the day when the Brexit Referendum was announced. These events and this year, 2016, will be studied in history, by my children, your children and their children. My advice is remember where you were, remember how you felt, because it will be important to hand on those stories to the next generation. It will be a tale of deep divisions, of political classes being challenged by different groups who are united only by their discontent. It will be remembered as a time of setbacks, protests, possibly revolution. And who knows what else?


The other question we must ask - what do we do now?


-LEXI

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Should we be allowed to vote at 16?

The results of the UK election today were surprising. None of the opinion polls predicted the outcome. I was also surprised by how engaged young people were in this election and how passionate they were about it. This is the first election I've been properly engaged in myself, so observing the results and people's reactions has been fascinating. 

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For the past few days I've watched my peers get into heated debates over who they believe are the best party and who they would vote for if given the opportunity. Even those I wouldn't expect to take an interest in politics had a view. I think the spark to this wide interest was the use of social media. As soon as the Conservative majority was declared, my twitter feed was flooded with fellow internet kids expressing their views. Social media has engaged young people in the election. Whether it was looking at the election Snapchat story or reading about the Green party on Tumblr, social media has allowed young people to be exposed to a vast range of opinions, allowing them to form independent views. I've heard it said many times that young people aren't interested in politics, but in my view they have been keenly interested in this election. It is perhaps because this election was so close and opinion polls said there could have been any number of outcomes. That made it interesting for everyone.

In this digital age, young people have access to thousands of resources and opinions which can educate and inform them on politics. Their views can be expressed and shared, reaching people all over the country. What I've seen over the last few days has made me ask the question of whether the voting age for the General Election should be lowered to 16. At 16, you gain access to new responsibilities. You can legally join the armed forces, get married, get a job, have sex, be charged with a crime - you are a fully fledged member of 'adult' society. You could argue it's the people of my generation who will inherit the decisions made in this Parliament, so should we not have a say in who is elected?  

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One argument against would be that 16 year olds wouldn't know enough about the parties and their policies to make an informed decision.  You could also argue that the major issues don't affect us teenagers. I don't have to deal with income tax increases or the non-dom status.

These arguments have merit, but based on what I've seen over the last few days, a large number of people are interested in, engaged in and informed about politics, partly due to social media and their access to various opinions. The Scottish Referendum was a prime example of 16-17 year olds being given the chance to vote on an issue that would affect their future. More than 100,000 16-17 year olds voted on the issue, embracing this new opportunity. I hope this sets a precedent. I'd vote yes on this issue.

I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. What were your opinions about the election and do you think we should lower the voting age?


-Lexi xo




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