Photo courtesy of Ben Tavener Fr., Wikipedia
The current election is potentially the most controversial in the history of the United States. As issues pertaining to the rights of minorities have gained ground during the Obama Administration, we must ask ourselves what we want the next president to do about these issues. The current election is very much based around minority rights due to the fact that the president of the United States should have the interests of every American in mind when making decisions. Most groups are demanding equal representation in society and in the eyes of the law. Whether it is the Americans representing Muslims, Black Lives Matter or LGBT+ individuals, every citizen should have equal rights. Minority rights should matter not just to the lawmakers, but also to all citizens because the minority groups that need fair treatment and representation could be brothers, sisters, good friends, etc. It is important to keep their interests in mind because minority groups are not just individual entities, but rather a big portion of our society. As much as we think we should be represented by lawmakers and their decisions, all Americans should be represented equally.
As with all lawmakers, and even more so with the office of the president, the citizens elect the officials to be representatives for all and to keep the best interests of the nation in mind. No matter what group needs representation, the president has the obligation to keep all citizens safe and fairly represented. The president doesn’t only represent the best interests of all Americans, but is also the face of all Americans to the rest of the world. A biased president has benefits as well as problems they will face for being so. Typically, the interests of the majority are centralized in biases and it is important for a president to realize their own personal biases and break them down while in office in order to benefit everyone, not just one particular group. As long as a group has agency to their claims it is the responsibility of elected officials to create laws that benefit everyone equally.
As much as our leaders mean to represent us all, it is no secret that most laws that are passed can be portrayed as favoring a certain group of people. A great example of this is Obamacare due to the fact that it is meant to be a universal program for all Americans, yet the only people who typically qualify and are accepted into the program are Americans in the lower socioeconomic classes. As long as the upcoming president realizes their civil and countrywide duty to fairly represent all Americans, the United States will prosper and the recent civil unrest will be settled. Peaceful protesting is accepted but all Americans are getting tired of the longevity of these many protests and as a whole, we are looking for a bipartisan solution to make this country great again for all of us!
pfarrell1@ramapo.edu
