America is in need of a lot of reforming and restructuring, but, unfortunately, the 2016 presidential candidates will not fulfill those needs.
President Barack Obama promised over and over again he would make many changes during his time in office, but most Americans would say he has done nothing of the sort. America needs good leaders more than ever and sadly the current presidential candidates seem to be cut from the same cloth as our current president.
America is in need of some serious attention. Our economy, for instance, has nearly hit rock bottom according to an article written by the Washington Post. The total government debt in the U.S., including federal, state, and local debts, is expected to be $22.4 trillion at the end of the year 2016 according to Forbes magazine. The magazine calls it “the worst four years of GDP growth in history.” We need a president who will create more jobs for the American people and also lower taxes.
According to presidential candidate Bernie Sanders’ official website, he said the wealthy people of America need to have a higher tax rate because they “illegally” keep all the money for themselves. Sanders’ vision of a socialistic world only benefits a few at the expense of many, if current socialistic countries are any example.
Our next problem is health care, and America is in desperate need of a program that will profit everyone. A new plan needs to be put in place to give equal opportunity to everyone to receive medical attention. In the United Kingdom, most citizens receive medical attention for free. There are neither co-pays nor high-priced surgeries. However, it is expensive to live in the UK, and taxes are much higher. ObamaCare isn’t necessarily a bad idea; it just hasn’t lived up to the expectations of the American people.
Another issue is gun control. Americans are in need to maintain their constitutional right to bear arms, but they also are in need of a safe and controlled environment. According to Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump’s official website, he said he believes all Americans should be able to defend themselves when needed and should be allowed to carry a gun. Although this could be a good idea, let us not forget the many people who have died due to gun violence.
Immigration is another issue at hand. According to an article written by the Pew Research Center, undocumented aliens cross our borders every day and take away jobs from the American people, yet most illegal immigrants are willing to take the jobs Americans don’t want. Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton plans to partially open our borders to allow more immigrant families to be together. While Trump would rather build a giant wall, comparable to China’s, to keep illegal immigrants out entirely. America needs a president who caters to the needs of the already settled Latino-Americans, but also considers the threat of overpopulation.
Although there may not be one solid, reasonable, and socially-acceptable candidate running in this year’s election, we students can still make a difference by being knowledgeable about our House and Senate representatives and be active in contacting them when important bills are being voted on.
“The House has several powers assigned exclusively to it, including the power to initiate revenue bills, impeach federal officials, and elect the President in the case of an electoral tie,” according to White House documents.
State officials often hold more power than the president, and if we, as Dixie State University students, vote suitable and effective people into state positions, then the U.S. will remain a democracy and the new president will not over- throw our voices.
