Eye of the Editors: Endorsing Joe Biden for president

October 17, 2020

 

Though many 18-year-olds feel unprepared to vote, the presidential ballot this year presents an unprecedented threat to the wellbeing of both our nation’s democracy and the students of Diamond Bar High School. For those reasons, the editorial board of The Bull’s Eye is endorsing Joe Biden for presidency, and urges every eligible student to exercise their right to vote this November.

Though Biden isn’t the first choice for high schoolers who favor the more aggressively progressive policies of Bernie Sanders, he’s the only viable alternative to another four—or more—years of Donald Trump’s presidency. The incumbent president has repeatedly expressed a willingness to ignore the results of this election, which he’s even likelier to dispute if the results are a close call in favor of Biden. If Trump manages to sway opinion in his favor this election season, who’s to say he won’t do it in future elections? 

Alarmingly, the president has already stated during rallies in recent months a desire to hold office for more than the constitutional limit of two terms. That’s why, even though polls show that Trump trails Biden, we implore every eligible voter to make their voice heard and ensure Biden’s overwhelming victory—for the sake of our democracy.

While televised debates and online advertisements share candidates’ policies on hot topic issues of national importance, like the economy and health insurance, few touch upon what’s relevant to students, leading many to think that national politics won’t affect them. However, a closer look at both candidate’s beliefs reveal that the outcome of this election could potentially have a profound impact on life for every student on campus.

Of primary importance to most high schoolers at the moment is college. The student debt crisis looms before many students of DBHS as an inevitable consequence of pursuing a higher education, and under Donald Trump it will certainly stay as such. The president doesn’t support student loan forgiveness, and has done little to mitigate the crisis. 

Democratic candidate Joe Biden, on the other hand, supports making the first two years of community college free for every student. For those who want to attend a private institution, Biden has a practical plan for them as well. A major part of the burden of student loans is the monthly debt repayment. Biden plans to cap repayments at a certain percentage of borrowers’ income so that people won’t have to pay close to, or more than, what they make in a month.

Beyond concerns for the future, students have a more immediate impact of the election to worry about. Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that he’s in favor of diverting funding from public schools to charter and private schools. In doing so, he has tried to cut billions from the budget of the Department of Education, which administers federal funding to public school districts like Walnut Valley Unified. Though Biden isn’t a proponent of overall funding increases for every public school, his presidency would likely prevent future budget cuts we’d see under Trump.

The final stance we urge students to consider, and the most important for some at our school, is Biden’s view of immigration. Whereas the Trump administration attempted to strike down Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an act protecting immigrant youth from deportation, Biden supports granting citizenship to undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. Typically, discussion of DACA and undocumented immigrants revolves around Latino communities, but the reality is that this legislation supports people of all backgrounds across the nation—some even here in Diamond Bar.

Whether you care about politics or not, there’s no denying that this election will have an impact on the lives of DBHS students. We believe that it’s in students’ best interest that Joe Biden win this election, so make your voice heard this November. Vote.