The 2020 elections have been some of the most contentious and consequential in American history. There have been numerous controversial state races, but the spotlight has been upon the presidential election between incumbent Donald Trump and Joe Biden. On election night, we asked several Bellevue College students how they were feeling as the race unfolded.
Grayson Denton
“I don’t think it’s going great, to be honest. Mr. Klan Man is winning. Well, at least not losing. That’s… pretty awful. It says a lot about the deeply misogynistic and racist roots, and the core beliefs of the majority of citizens in this country.
If Trump wins, besides just the restriction of human rights and civil liberties on multiple groups of people, the climate, he has shown multiple times, that is not something that he cares about at all, like pulling out of the Paris Climate accord, and saying that he doesn’t trust science. So, yeah, just that is a very pressing issue, and it will continue to worsen, and be completely unchecked if he is elected.
If Biden wins, I’m hopeful for restoration of civil liberties taken and sort of a rebuilding of trust and community between the country if that’s even possible at this point.”
Levi Shriner
“I’m kind of stressed. I don’t know which way the election will go, and each news source has different results so far. I think Trump will win just barely, but I don’t know if I actually think that or just hope. And I think people will riot a bunch.
I don’t know who will win at this point, but I do hope Trump does. I think he’s done a decent job the past 4 years.”
Xander Thorne
“Uuugggggggghhhhhh Aaaggggghhhhhhhhhhhh.”
“I mean, do I need to say more? I thought life couldn’t feel more hopeless but I’m thinking I could be wrong.
The past year especially has been so energy draining that I’m certain another four years of a pandemic would make me more depressed and I’m certain that the pandemic would last another four years with how it’s being handled under his oversight. I mean, we’re just now hitting the second wave and there’s sure to be many more. Then there’s the all too real possibility of Trump trying for a third term or some other form of him becoming a dictator.”
Talia Mar
“I’m pretty anxious. I don’t really support either candidate, to me both are bad.”
Awjanea Hardin
“I feel like I did the best I could by voting. Once my vote went out, I knew however the election went it was out of my control. I felt that if I gave the election control over my feelings and thoughts I would be letting fear control me, and that goes against my beliefs.
After the election, life will still go on and whoever ends up as president, that won’t stop me from standing up for what’s right and speaking up for other people. The election doesn’t cause us to stop treating people right and it definitely doesn’t take away our voices to speak out. So don’t start living your life like it does.”
Drew Wilson
“I’m glad to see Biden in the lead. Trump is leading in a bunch of states, but a majority of Dem voters are voting through mail. So it’s hard to say. If Biden gets elected he will have a lot of work on his plate just to reverse all the problems Trump caused, let alone the things that were already issues before Trump came
into office: repairing the immigration system, mending foreign relations, protecting womens’ and minorities’ rights, etc
Personally, I don’t think I’ll be affected that much if Trump wins, but I think it will take a lot longer to resolve the coronavirus if Trump remains in charge, and lots of people will have their lives made worse by him being in charge.”
