Anjuli Castano/Contributing Writer
The ongoing political polarization characterizing 2020 has politicized even those who have always chosen to ignore it.
The youth (millennials, generation Z), ages 18-39, are manifesting their voices through increased percentages of voter turnout, but not urgently enough. Using social media platforms has shaped a new wave of activism, now there is a challenge to bridge the gaps between social media presence and political engagement. Youth-led initiatives and community outreach organizations have taken to the streets for the past four months calling for the reimagination of the systems and institutions which mandate us.
I argue that in our current political climate, where the right pledges loyalty to their demagogue and the left is torn between bureaucracy and a rise in socialist sentiment, political participation (especially in primary and local elections), is imperative. If we want to see more progressive policies, we have to vote for those who stand with us. With the good and the bad, there are lessons to learn from the Florida 2020 primary elections.
When all hope for the future feels lost because the choices in the presidential election are down to picking the “lesser evil”, local elections are what provide us a voice.
We Must Prioritize The Primaries
What is determined in the primary elections have the greatest impact in our daily lives and set the foundations for the platforms parties rely on. It is where we vote for those who directly represent us and our ideas of justice the most.
The less publicized candidates such as school board members and state attorneys upto the more well known congressional and local representatives are given the job of doing what is best for the people, but too often corruption is allowed to flourish in these positions. Policies concerning your livelihood such as wages, housing, schooling and policing are constructed by these people yet voter turnout for primaries are historically lower than the presidential.
When all hope for the future feels lost because the choices in the presidential election are down to picking the “lesser evil”, local elections are what provide us a voice.
Not voting in the primaries is how we ended up with Joe Biden instead of Bernie Sanders. Even more devastatingly, it is how we ended up with Katherine Fernandez Rundle for another four years.
In order to germinate nationwide changes in our systems and norms, we need to set precidences through our local officials. Paying attention to who your school board members are is the difference between a safe and inclusive school environment to a gentrified and uncaring one. Knowing who your state attorney is means you know whether cops will be charged for their crimes or given qualified immunity when killing innocents. For many it is the difference between the chance to a just life or one of sustained corruption.
Let Go Of The Incumbent
This year, many of those who were running in Florida, could be seen preaching the same chants heard from protesters and some even joined the protests yet not enough of these candidates were supported during the elections.
There is a trend of allowing incumbents to run on a platform based on familiarity and not much else while holding onto their donors and powerful friends, seemingly untouchable. There needs to be a push back on this blasé attitude towards local officials. The inclination to make a change is not effective enough, it is time to push for progression and pick up the democratic party from the thresholds of the moderates that limit our future.
The most disappointing losses were for Property Appraiser and State Attorney. Both Marisol Zenteno and Melba Pearson were running against powerful incumbents while pushing for the need of a new perspective.
Marisol Zenteno worked in her running mate, Pedro Garcia’s office for 15 years before deciding there was a need for a fresh approach which emphasized transparency and inclusivity. During his years as property appraiser, Garcia has tried to make it harder for property owners to argue against assessments and proposed to limit transparency in the appraiser’s office calculation of an assessment. Zenteno, recently the chair of the Miami-Dade County Commission on human rights, wanted to target these exact issues in proposing they add translations in spanish and creol to the website along with other initiatives.
The most heartbreaking results of the primaries was the complete domination of Melba Pearson by Katherine Rundle with nearly 62% of the vote after 820 of 860 precincts reported their results. The incumbent of 27 years has never prosecuted an officer for an on-duty killing, a clear sign of corruption. With the Black Lives Matter movement in full force, this kind of alignment with police brutality should not be accepted and therefore needed to be voted out. Now we face the consequences of another four years of killer cops and no end to the cash crop carceral system.
To me, the right choices seemed obvious.
Reposting Is Not Participating
This year, voter turnout was 28% in Florida, a continuation of an upward trend in participation. However, voter turnout is pale in comparison to online political participation and activism. Hundreds of instagram pages emerged in the last few months as platforms for community engagement (@latinx_miami, @protestsmiami , @justice4miami), encouraging voter registration and posting information on candidates. Hundreds more shared a ballot cheat-sheet by Miami based journalist, Billy Corben @billycorben, endorsing progressives. There was a high energy surrounding the primaries, especially in support for Pearson, but, as always, the same energy was not found when it was time to get to the polls.
If the same momentum I witnessed on social media had carried on through August 18, I believe the outcomes would have been different.
Listen To The Youth
Most of our elected officials are well into their 60s and 70s, making them completely disconnected with the realities of today’s working class. Issues such as climate change and sustainable housing and business practices are not the concern of those who will not feel its negative effects. Younger generations are frontlining the fight for a new green deal, healthcare for all and other forward-thinking policies. It is time to look to the youth who are trying to save our future while baby boomers do everything to destroy it.
Younger generations are increasingly becoming a stronger demographic and they are overwhelmingly Democratic, with this power we can manipulate our own futures.
Jokes about senile or out of touch politicians make a frequent occurance on late-night talk shows. These jabs hold truth in their critiques and the fact that politicians today do not adequately represent the youth is a scary reality.
Democrats need to reestablish themselves as the party for progressive thinking and minority advocacy. We need to listen to the grievances of our black and brown youth and remove the concept of politics from the ivory towers and bring them back to the hands of the people. One way to start is by supporting the candidates who empathize with these demands.
Younger generations are increasingly becoming a stronger demographic and they are overwhelmingly Democratic, with this power we can manipulate our own futures. We often take for granted that our voice can actually transform an entire county or country, but it is all about one vote uniting with all the other votes.
The Silver Lining
In the face of racial injustices and Florida’s sinking shores, there may seem like no point in caring about politics. I want to conclude by arguing that there is always something to fight for. There is always a silver lining and the mayoral candidate Daniella Levine Cava could be just that. Cava has emerged as a voice for the working class and minority communities, prioritizing government transparency and accountability while stimulating small business, especially those owned by black entrepreneurs.
To give our futures a chance we must vote for those who have sustainability in mind, going “back to normal” will never be the answer and I encourage everyone to take this chance to bring positive change by supporting Cava as mayor of Miami-Dade.
In the grander scheme of things, the first presidential debate was this past Tuesday. As a swing state, we Floridians, have a super vote. You might not feel as if your voice matters in the electoral system because many times it goes unrepresented. But the greatest lesson to learn is our strength in unity. The Democratic party is the only side which will allow us to build ourselves, our communities, and our ability to stand up against these great powers. If we all have faith in this process, we can all participate in a brighter future.
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The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.
Featured image by Tiffany Tertipes on Unsplash
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