Over the course of this past year, we have been inundated with the presidential election and the race to the White House. Though the projected winner is already announced, the aftermath is what worries me the most.
After four long arduous days from election day, Joe Biden was announced as the projected winner and President Elect of the United States of America. Although ballots continue to be counted and talks of discrepancies are floating through the air, this race seems to have no finish line. For months we have seen propaganda spewed from all parties in hopes to persuade voters into voting a specific way. Rallies and irate supporters have pledged their allegiance to candidates locally and presidentially, creating barriers, familiar tiffs and divides amongst this already fragile nation. Some may be leaping with joy while others are in utter disbelief waiting for the final shoe to drop. Many are anxiously waiting to see what the future holds.
Election Day had many of us holding our breath, refreshing google and searching for an answer that would take days to come up with. As states turned blue, Trump’s charge to “stop the count” ignited many of his supporters to rally in front of government poll counting sites, urging officials to take heed and listen to the words of the President. The demand to stop the count came as an expected but questionable one, as stopping the count would still place Biden in the lead and his projected counts would go unaccounted for as well. Talks of ballot fraud and mishandling of votes continues in this never ending saga. The irony! With no concession speech in sight and scorned supporters, the separation of this country is undeniably visible.
The boarding up of business before the election showed the impending fear of what’s to come. According to Nathaniel Meyersohn of CNN “For retailers, election-related vandalism would be the latest disruption to their businesses during the pandemic. While large chains may be able to easily handle the added costs of boarding up, small retailers may face a tougher time.” Riots, protests and rallies have become our new normal, and while most have ended civilly, some have destroyed businesses and communities that are financially unable to recover.
The calling of Proud Boys, civil unrest, pandemic woes and racial divides has left this country at a boiling point. There has to be a loser in every race, but this country has been in such upheaval that this election just may be the thing to cause an eruption. It has been almost two weeks since election day and the dust still hasn’t settled; lawsuits and vote tampering may be the hot topics leading well into the new year. With a record breaking voter turn out, people are still reluctant to accept the results and decisions made by the electoral college.
We’re living in unprecedented times; a year of many firsts. We’ve seen violence across the states but we’ve also seen solidarity and compassion transform the ideals and future of America. We don’t know what’s to come or how this one election may completely change our lives, but hopefully the aftermath is one of great change and unity across the country.
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