By Hannah Lennon
Did you ever think there’d be talk of another civil war anytime soon? I certainly didn’t when I was growing up, but within the past few years, the jokes seem to be more of a dystopian reality. Scrolling through TikTok the past few days I’ve seen people fear-mongering after-election evacuation or preparation plans and countless comedy videos about race wars, being drafted, and north versus south. And as much as I use humor to cope, this seems a bit more serious to me.
I have genuine fears for the future of the country.
What kind of democracy is it if constituents are seeing war as a possible outcome? Certainly, it’s not fair or even remotely representative. People are joking about a real-life Hunger Games as a worst-case scenario outcome of this election. And honestly, I don’t even think it would be the worst-case. I mean sure we’d be fighting to the death but at least we’d have some interesting reality TV. And that book series ended in an uprising and a new system of government, so it wouldn’t be the worst, right? We’re looking for reform.
Now, I’m not saying we need to go full Katniss Everdeen straight away, but I am saying that jokes about living in the dystopian worlds of our childhood seem to be backed by our real-life fears. And that’s concerning, seriously, genuinely, impossibly concerning. Our nation was built on freedom and resistance against a strong government that didn’t listen to the calls of the people. There is so much fear in our country; we should not be afraid of those who are employed by us to represent us and fight for us.
And yes, I know that politicians are meant to be strong and steadfast in their beliefs, we should know what they stand for. However, we should not be afraid of our rights being taken away. As a woman, I should not be afraid of losing my right to choose, my right of control over my own body. As a 19-year-old, I should not be afraid of being removed from my mother’s insurance; I’m still in college, how on earth can the government potentially expect me to find my own insurance and healthcare coverage? That’s messed up. I’ve lived a fraction of my life as a privileged woman and am screaming at the top of my lungs to keep my rights. I cannot even begin to imagine the terror felt by people of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, Natives, and every other marginalized group in this country.
Would it be too much to ask to live free in a country that prides itself on freedom? I don’t think so. Would it be too much to ask for the rights and liberties that have already been judicially and legislatively given to me? I don’t think so. And I hate to say this, but I’m afraid to be an American because I don’t know that I’m actually free.