Recently, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) asked me if I wanted to pre-register myself for upcoming elections and if so, what political party I fall under. I answered Republican.

For some people reading this article, this may come as a surprise, or perhaps you’ve known this fact about me for quite a while. Often, I try to hide my views from my peers as they are typically frowned upon in our valley, with over 75% of the residents voting Democratic in the last election. In the past, I have tried debating my views in classroom discussions, which have led to students and teachers not listening and judging with my ideas. I find this strange, as teachers are supposed to be educating us based on facts, not opinions. When my classmates talk about politics, I sit in silence, in fear of being singled out. Undaunted, I have never let these instances change my views.

With the upcoming presidential election, arguably one of the most important elections in a lifetime, some AHS seniors will be voting under the influence of their parents (and what they’ve been taught by TikTok), without doing any of their own research. I find this to be quite alarming as one single vote could sway the entire election. It is essential that people actually understand what they are voting for, the differences between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, and what they’ve done in their individual times in office.

According to CBS News, 79% of Americans believe that the United States is on the wrong track, and 70% believe the economy is at least “not so good” or worse. This polling is from September of 2024; 12 out of 16 of the past years have been run by Democrats, with the four most recent years being under the Biden-Harris administration. In a recent interview between Harris and Bret Baier, she was informed of this statistic, and her response was: “And Donald Trump has been running for office, come on you, and I both know what I’m talking about,” she said as she laughed. Unfortunately, no one really knows what she is talking about. For the people in the back, if she wanted to make a difference for the greater good of our country, she would have done it in the past four years.

As someone who wants to become a homeowner at a decently young age but also someone who has dreams and aspirations, I don’t know if I’ll be able to pursue what I truly love regarding wages for certain jobs. In 2020, the average income necessary to afford a house was about $59,000. As of 2024, it is about $106,500. In just four years, the necessary salary has almost doubled. The average American salary after taxes is approximately $58,389.

Now let’s break this down: The annual estimate of an American’s groceries is just under $10,000, gas is $2,148, and insurance for just ONE person is roughly $8,435. That’s not it; Americans are flawlessly able to find countless ways to spend their money. When you put all of this together, it is such a small amount of money in such a highly inflated country that Americans cannot choose what they want to do as a career without considering the cost of living. I was once asked if I wanted to pursue journalism. I would want to, but I would never survive in the real world with the income of a journalist. The impact of career choice and political ideologies come hand in hand.

When I ask people why they don’t like Trump, typically, they don’t have a real answer backed up by facts, which is a bit unfortunate coming from the most opinionated people. The answer they sway to the most is that he’s racist. Trump’s so-called ‘racism’ is wanting to stop the entrance of and to facilitate and the deportation of illegal immigrants. The critical word here is illegal. Don’t you think we should be putting Americans over criminals? Since Biden’s election in 2020, almost 10 million illegal immigrants have entered our country, affecting southern states like Texas and California and even Aurora, Colorado, where Venezuelan gangs have taken over apartment complexes.

When George Floyd, a criminal, was wrongfully murdered by a police officer the world stopped and built a statue of him. However, when a 22-year-old girl (Laken Riley) was kidnapped, raped, and murdered by an illegal immigrant, President Biden didn’t even know how to pronounce her name, and then compared himself to her family? It’s not just the murders. We are at a record-high number of fentanyl seizures at the southwestern border. Over 800 pounds are being seized monthly. Drugs are a massive problem, especially here in Aspen; it’s no secret we have a problem.

More reasons people say they don’t like Trump include that he’s homophobic, doesn’t support abortion, and is a felon. Firstly, Trump is the opposite of homophobic. “As your president, I will do everything in my power to protect LGBTQ citizens,” said Trump when running for president in 2016. After being elected, he was the first President to nominate and appoint openly gay people for U.S. ambassador positions. He also helped increase HIV support. With abortion, however, Trump fluctuates. Sometimes, he says he doesn’t support it; other times, he does. Currently, Trump’s stance lies with individual states having control over their reproductive rights. Along with this, he would make IVF treatments paid for by the government if he were to be elected. However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that Harris wants to make ninth-month abortion legal under certain circumstances. Now, this one is a matter of opinion. Many Christians believe all abortion is murder (pro-life), while others believe women deserve the right to their own bodies (pro-choice). Depending on the circumstances peoples’ minds will change.

Now for Trump’s felonies, it is undeniable that he was convicted of 34 counts of falsified business records. While Trump’s lawyers are still trying to get the charges lifted, only time will tell to see how this plays out.

Say you’re a voter and you don’t agree with policies from either side; do you care how our country is represented? Harris has recently been representing our beautiful country by inviting Megan Thee Stallion to perform at her rally in July, who sang songs and twerked on stage. Representing. America. On the other hand, Trump was recently shot in the ear at one of his rallies in Pennsylvania. After he was shot, he was held down by the Secret Service, and instead of ducking for cover, Trump pumped his fist in the air while his supporters chanted “USA!” I’m no genius, but I believe there’s an exhibit of embarrassment, and patriotism in these circumstances.

So, if you’re planning on voting in this election, take into account what you believe, rather than what those around you think. Remember you are your own person with your own opinions. Make sure to do your research, look at unbiased websites, and also biased websites for both parties. But no matter what happens, don’t riot the streets, and don’t raid the capital.