What Do Young People Think About Impeaching Trump?
OPINION —Published in The Nation Magazine
In college, you can exist in a politics-free bubble, where you can choose to move in and out of politically driven spaces. My generation is becoming more attentive and concerned with keeping up-to-date with the news, whether traditional news sources or unconventional methods, like Twitter and Instagram. This impeachment inquiry allows those who weren’t as politically involved to learn more about what’s happening in the world around them—and I think this is a good thing. With knowledge, people are able to make better-informed decisions. In the past months, I’ve sat down with my friends to watch the debates, and through this, I’ve noticed a shift in our mindsets. We realize we can no longer be sheltered from what’s happening. Our voices are as important—or even more important—because these issues are being handed down to us. We are participating in the dialogue, regardless of our political leanings. The impeachment effort has motivated people on both sides to participate in the change they would like to see in 2020.
However, I don’t think the actual impeachment is as monumental as the wider societal change happening at the same time. Impeachment is less about Trump and more about the repercussions of one’s actions. It makes me hopeful for the future. Not because of who the next president will be, but because my generation isn’t ignorant about issues that affect the people around them. We see how the lack of consequences has emboldened racist behaviour, and this has forced underprivileged groups to take a stand. I know the impeachment proceedings have changed the way my university has reacted to racially charged incidents in just the past weeks. It has allowed people to participate firsthand in the issues that affect their lives and those they love. The impeachment effort creates an atmosphere that doesn’t allow people with power and privilege to continue to skate by. It is an epoch-making event, that I believe will, and has, changed the way people react to broader issues that affect their livelihood.
In terms of importance, there are other, more important issues we should focus on. However, it is still significant this is happening. It sets an example—a standard—for how the president of the United States should act.
—Blessing Emole, Syracuse University
