Friday Scares Me.

Elections in the United States are a way of life. Whether or not you were born here or immigrate here, chances are you will be lucky enough to participate in an election at least once in your life. The election is a standard practice in the US that allows for all eligible voices to be heard. Unfortunately, during this election season, that does not seem to be the case. Not when you have a sitting president who wants nothing more than to disenfranchise many of the population to steal the election. If I am honest, this scares me, this Friday, November 6, 2020, scares me, and it should scare you.

So why does Friday scare me? It is because I do not know what paths election 2020 will lay in front of me for the next four years and the years that follow. What happens over the next 24 hours can significantly impact my life for the foreseeable future and many individuals who live within this country. Let me start by stating that I am a DACA recipient and have been able to contribute to this society and economy thanks to former President Barak Obama. Due to his dedication to equality and fairness, I have a chance to work hard, earn an income, and pay for my education out of pocket. 

As such, the potential elimination of DACA by the republican party would drastically impact my ability to work legally, advance my education, and build a better life for myself. Let me be clear; I work hard for everything that I have and the things I have accomplished. I receive no government funding or social services to make my way—a stark contrast to the image painted by those seeking to eliminate DACA. I am an upstanding member of society, a dedicated life-learner, and a creative soul who aims only to help others when and where I can. I am not unlike many individuals you may know. Many of whom may not be willing to open up about their standing in this country but have proven to you that they are more than the rhetoric you may hear from the right-winged politicians looking to silence their voices. 

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am usually fearless. I push forward when times get rough, I don’t falter under pressure, and I don’t back down in the face of injustice and bullying. These were the lessons instilled in me by my family, my teachers, and the people I am lucky enough to call friends. The lessons I have always attributed to the American way.

Yet, tomorrow Nov. 6th, 2020, has me in a panic. I see two options in front of me, and I cannot affect either one. I am at the mercy of those around me, those who do not know me, and those who may be more inclined to serve their self-interest over the common good. I can only watch and wait to see where this nation turns on Friday and begin figuring out what options I can come up with before I am out of time. 

It may interest you to know what I believe these two paths are. Based on what I have seen, if we continue down this status quo, I foresee a government that will remove DACA, increase racial tensions, and continue to decrease people’s trust in government across the board. Especially the trust of communities that are consistently disenfranchised by systemic institutional issues. For me specifically, I wonder if I will have the ability to be employed in the future. Is deportation my future? I continue to worry about whether or not one day I will be grabbed up and sent to a country I do not know. 

On the other hand, I see a glimpse of a light shining off in the distance. That little light is one that potentially brings me, and many others like me, a path to citizenship, a path to stability, and the right to vote. I see the possibility for us to begin to heal as individual communities and as a nation. I see the potential for reformation within the systemic issues that plague communities of color, those disenfranchised, underprivileged, and those in need of help. Regardless of how hopeful I am during this time— that this far off light will start to come closer— I still hold tight to my fear that things won’t change and liberties I have been able to enjoy up until this point—may soon be ripped away from me.

Let me know your thoughts and emotions in the comments section.

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us