I woke up on Nov. 9 and per usual started scrolling through my phone. To my surprise not even a day after Donald Trump had been elected, ignorance, bigotry and hate filled my screen. I wasn’t reading CNN or NPR; instead I was reading my generation’s Facebook feed.
Friend after friend wailing like a child in a supermarket who wanted fruit snacks but mom bought pretzels. Useless whines such as “Why can’t Hilary be president?” stood parallel with “Mommy, why can’t I have it?” Well children, similar to our grocery experiences it’s time we learn to act our age with the election results.
Lesson one is dropping the bait and switch tactic. On Nov. 8, posts from friends and family reinforced the idea that “It doesn’t matter who you vote for, just get out and vote!”
Within a day dramatic posts then called upon anyone who voted other than secretary Clinton to atone for their damnation of the muslim or LGBTQ community. A bit of an exaggeration? Potentially, but it’s two faced comments such as these that landed us in this election.
The Guardian reported on Wednesday that one of the reasons Mr. Trump got elected was because people believed “Trump is exactly what you get, with Hillary you can’t know what’s real.” Let’s be honest, the people in my generation who do not agree with Trump’s policies and remarks, you will be the next leaders of America! In the meantime, even on interfaces as simple as social media, show us that you are real.
Coming out of the store, still saddened by those visions of delicious treats they almost had, it’s for a child to blame the parents. In an equal light, Millennial voters have a tendency to view the older generation’s decision as absolutely absurd and point fingers at their decisions.
Unfortunately, this viewpoint doesn’t help progression. Instead it distances the young and old and creates a viscous cycle of entitlement.
Take a post from Policy Mic a day after election night which suggests that Clinton would have won approximately 504 electoral college votes if only Millennials voted. Shared numerous times with youthful interpretations that read “How the future voted, it will be in our hands soon enough.”
Which leads me to expose Millennial’s secret strategy: complain that older generations ruin the election, grow up, believe our generation always decides the best path for America while ignoring the younger generation. Sound familiar? The only way that the millennial generation can assure that generational divides come to an end is by being an example to the next generation that we are willing to compromise, communicate and work together no matter the age difference.
In reality I scold you, because I love you, Millennials. Our generation has opportunities left and right whether it’s education, connectivity or the ability to form opinions. Needless to say, they need to be utilized correctly. Let’s respect our mom’s decision, learn and leave the supermarket peacefully. Besides, we don’t want to lose our dessert too!
Austin Breuer
Major: Chemistry
Year: Sophomore