(Opinion) Vote for Joe Biden

By Thea Louise Thomaseth on October 23, 2020 • ( Leave a comment )

Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author.

Joe Biden speaking to a crowd. *Source via Stock Photos*

Democracy as we know it is under attack by Donald Trump. Just this summer, he sent military troops after unarmed Black Lives Matter protesters, willingly exposed his own supporters to the deadly coronavirus, admitted to intentional voter suppression and threatened to reject the outcome of the election.

We cannot stay passive against this kind of evil. We need to protest–or at the very least, vote. Know that whatever you do, it is important. I’ve tried doing my part this summer, choosing to intern for a grassroots organization called Swing Left, which works to increase voter turnout for the Democratic Party. Through Swing Left, I got to phone-bank (canvass for the democratic party by phone), send texts and postcards and attend virtual events and a fundraiser in effort to help Democrats win elections this year.

The most important person to vote for this year is Joe Biden. Not only is he not a threat to democracy, but he would be a good president. I am not going to lie; I used to be suspicious. But this summer, I put my doubts aside and phone-banked for his campaign. And I am so glad I did. Through making these calls, I got to hear why so many people support him. One man was confident Biden would bring the economy back on track, one woman spoke to me for an hour about why he would make America safer for her African American grandchildren, and many people simply hated the alternative.

But one woman’s story particularly resonated with me. She was a Nigerian woman who had immigrated to the U.S. in the ‘90s, escaping a rough past. Her marriage to an American man allowed her to stay in the country through a spousal visa. But her husband soon turned violent and threatened her safety, forcing her to get a divorce and leave him. She explained that if it hadn’t been for Biden, she wouldn’t have been able to leave her dangerous husband because Biden had introduced the Violence Against Women Act just before she moved here. This act saved her because it introduced several new protections, including allowing women with spousal visas to remain in the country even if they divorce their abusive husbands.

This woman’s story was powerful to me, especially since I am an immigrant woman, too. Learning that Biden had introduced this act way back in the ‘90s showed me that he is a good presidential choice. Clearly, he cares about the safety of the people in this country, even when he can’t personally relate to their issues. So as an immigrant and a feminist, I think he would be a great president.

Voting Democrat is more important than ever. This year, you are not only voting on issues you care about – but also on whether our government will remain democratic. If you care at all about these issues, please vote.