With the election creeping closer, Americans have found themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place, unable to decide if they would rather vote for a war criminal or a bigoted partisan.

The Democratic Party’s nominee, current President Joe Biden, leans more toward left-wing policies surrounding the importance of advancing equality for LGBTQ+ Americans.

On June 25, President Biden signed an executive order integral to ensuring that the Federal government is a model employer for Transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary employees. Through this, Biden expanded the availability of gender-neutral bathrooms in Federal buildings, which has become a controversial focal point in recent debates.

Despite the backlash from more left-leaning Americans about these policies, the Biden Administration took it a step further, and on February 7, 2022–more than a year ago–the White House recognized National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and commemorated Reggie Williams.

Williams was an American AIDS activist, who fought to improve relevant AIDS education and services for gay and bisexual men of color.

Biden’s administration is marked by a progressive commitment to addressing social, economic, and environmental challenges, however, let us not forget that he is a war criminal. What a silly old man!

While never convicted, many Americans have found that this is a suitable title for the president, considering his staunch support for the colonial state of Israel. His criminal escapades began during the Obama Administration, in which the use of 563 drone strikes was approved.

On top of this, around 26,000 bombs were dropped across seven countries: Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan Libya, Yemen, Somalia, and Pakistan. It is no surprise Biden is refusing to call for a ceasefire to aid Palestinians, he seems to dislike West/South Asians.

The Republican Party’s nominee, former President Donald Trump, leans more right-wing and emphasized the importance of protecting businesses.

In 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was passed, significantly reducing tax rates and boosting economic growth that aided certain segments of the population. In 2018, Trump made strides in criminal justice reforms, addressing the problem of mass incarceration. This bipartisan legislation sought to increase federal prison rehabilitation programs and lower statutory minimum terms for nonviolent criminals.

Beyond all of this, Trump was extremely charismatic, and despite his jokes being a little old-fashioned, he was able to appease a crowd. On January 6, he even managed to convince a violent mob of supporters to storm the Capitol building!

The 2020 Electoral College results were certified–Biden was beating Trump–and the crowd burst through security barriers, stealing items and vandalizing offices; four people died.

If this is not a telltale sign that Trump is unfit for office, I don’t know what is.

Beyond the racist remarks, the inappropriate joke he made about how he would date his daughter, and the sexist outbursts, Trump is an unsuited candidate for president. Most notably he holds an unhealthy amount of influence over the people of the U.S.A.

That is, of course, just my opinion, but I am getting ahead of myself. 

It is clear that neither of these men is fit to run the country, and a more pressing issue stands: they are both way too old. We have reached a point in a political culture where we refer to 40-year-old politicians as “young”.

This is more of an issue than people realize; because of their ages, neither Biden nor Trump can adapt to the rapidly changing social and technological environments. I am not implying that older people shouldn’t be allowed to work in government possessions, we lack the experience they do, however, it is about time younger generations had a say in what was happening.

Political socialization allows a parent to heavily influence their child’s political leanings from a young age, feeding them a certain agenda. As that child progresses in life, they will either have the same opinions as their parents or choose an entirely new path. Parents go on tangents about the economic climate and how “America is going to ruin!” Yet, whose fault is that?

Older generations are less concerned with long-term gains; looking forward to retiring with the money social security is formulating, but look at our economy. There is massive intergenerational wealth inequality, with older generations benefiting from systems made by them for them.

This is the great dilemma facing Americans, because not once in U.S. history has a third party ever won an election, so we are stuck between these two.

However, this is not the case. With the widespread use of the internet, the population has come to form an end-of-the-world mindset. Every decision could be detrimental, we have so much to lose, and we are never getting out of this slump.

Good news has slowly faded away in the background as the onslaught of hysteria jumps from one person to the next like a virus.

People forget that the government works for us. Written in the Constitution, the government is not its entity, but a guardian meant to protect the rights and liberties of its people. 

When walking into that voting booth, do not be pressured into picking the lesser evil, because if neither candidate is capable of handling the job, then neither candidate should get the job.

Most claim that it is not that simple, but it is.

Many people will be affected by the outcome of the election if either of the two wins, but many third-party candidates also deserve to be recognized. And 

Unless we demand what we want, we will forever be stuck in this loop.