We all know that a candidate has to be 35 and a U.S. citizen to run for the President of the United States. That’s a common and accepted fact. However, what about being TOO OLD to run for President?
We have 50’s, 60’s, and 70 year old’s’ campaigning to be President of our country. And there’s a problem with that.
The younger generation’s views are not being met by the older population, who – in turn – will be running our country. The majority of Presidents in this country are old, and with that are representing a dying population’s beliefs systems, and not what the majority of the country is made up of.
If the majority of the country’s views are not being met, then our country is not being ruled by the people, for the people.
Nowadays, LGBTQIA/women’s rights and the student debt crisis are a huge campaign points that the older generations are not as invested in as the younger ones. We demand equal rights and equality among all people, and we recognize that college tuition has reached such a high price point that we’re not getting a bang for our buck, we’re getting drowned in debt we can’t pay off.
We hear the older generation telling us all the time (even in our own families), how they paid for college by themselves, and how we buy too much coffee and “why do we have to change because society changed?”
But with our money being devalued as the cost of living continues to rise astronomically, especially in the state of New York, we might as well buy ourselves that cup of coffee instead of worrying about paying off debt with a minimum wage, not a living wage. According to Business Insider, “By observing the changing hourly minimum rates over the years, juxtaposed alongside their relative value in today’s dollars, we can clearly see that incremental increases haven’t been remotely enough to ensure minimum wage workers’ ability to live in today’s economy.”
Now, not only is our money not worth what is was worth for 60-70 years olds, but that view is being tossed aside by older voters. Despite it being a huge campaign point to attract younger voters, without the support (and in-office action), the debt crisis rises, and the younger generation still continues to struggle.
Same with equal rights! The older generation doesn’t understand why sexual harassment in the workplace is such a big deal. Because it wasn’t in their day. Sexist and racist comments were commonplace for them, something the minorities put up with silently. Now, woman and those apart of the LGBTQ community are asking to be treated like everyone else and to be valued for their work and their abilities, not their gender or sexual orientation. They aren’t being silent anymore, and they are asking for a place at the table to be heard and seen. The older generation doesn’t understand (or maybe they don’t want to understand) why minorities don’t want to have “put up with it” any longer. And we all know an older person or a few who had made derogatory comments regarding both parties mentioned.
That’s just one reason why there should be a cap on Presidency.
If the younger generation’s views and beliefs don’t have a seat at the table, then how can America be America? It’s not representing everyone, but rather just a select few. It’s supporting a dying view, rather than supporting the future of the country.
We, as the younger generation (and even our parents), have to wait until we’re at an age where our generation is mainly running for President to get our views heard. By then, the younger generation will have different views, and they won’t be represented. And the cycle continues.
There has to be a cap on age for Presidency. We shouldn’t have older people, who only represent a small fraction of America, deciding what happened to this country. By the time you’re reaching 60-70, you have two generations below you that are now not being heard.
If this cycle continues, America will never be for the people. It will only be for the older generation.