Unity Made Difficult with 2018 Midterm Elections

It’s election season! If you thought that voting for our favorite politicians to represent us would unify the country, you would be completely wrong. With everyone voicing their opinions and politicians fighting to win elections, the division of the United States continues.

As Election Day grew closer, any Missourian could tell you about the never ending McCaskill versus Hawley ads. Whether driving down the road, listening to the radio or on your phone, the campaigning didn’t cease. The harsh rivalry between Hawley and McCaskill became obvious when both could no longer promote themselves but attempted to ruin the reputation of the other. This behavior divided our own state, and has caused the debate of “Which side are you on?”

After months of campaigning, we now know that Republican Josh Hawley won the election in Missouri and will be our state senator. Though some may be jumping for joy about the announcement, McCaskill supporters are not satisfied. As political problems continue to spread throughout the country, it becomes increasingly harder to make everyone happy in politics.

In the state of Georgia, candidates Republican Brian Kemp, the secretary  of state for Georgia until his resignation on Thursday, and Democrat Stacey Abrams competed for the title of governor. On November 7, Kemp declared victory, but Abrams refuses to accept that conclusion. When Kemp’s office made the announcement, Abrams believed that the counting was rigged and demanded they recount the votes. Therefore, the election has not been settled yet in Georgia, causing the citizens to remain angry and suspicious.

Trouble follows those in Washington D.C. running our country. With results in for this year’s midterm elections, Republicans held onto control over the Senate and Presidency but the Democrats grasped power within the House. This conclusion brings the possibility of disagreement. In order to pass something it needs to be approved through all three branches of the government, and now that the control of political parties is split, it may be much more difficult to reach conclusions.

As so many people in the public eye thirst for success while accusing others, they lose sight of what they truly need to strive for: peace. As our own country persistently divides in front of our eyes, this is a time where we need to band together to repair what has been broken. Love and forgiveness is needed more than ever now with drama between politicians, shootings happening back to back and countless more tragic events. We can easily show love and compassion everyday to our peers, which could potentially create a butterfly effect, spreading love across the country.

It is encouraged that everyone continues to voice their opinions; it’s our right. But when the vexation of the world becomes overwhelming, don’t be afraid to be that spark of light that shines in the darkness.