Print: Biden or Bust

“Voting for Biden isn’t a matter of agreeing with him, it’s making sure democracy lives on,” says Staff Writer Natalia Ribeiro.

Illustration+by+Michelle+Rodriguez+Gonzalez.

Illustration by Michelle Rodriguez Gonzalez.

Natalia Ribeiro, Staff Writer

Editor’s note: This piece is one of three opinion articles concerning the Nov. 3 election, with the others advocating for Donald Trump and Gloria La Riva. They do not reflect the views of the University Press.

Back in 2016 when Donald Trump won the presidential election, I knew he was not the president this country needed nor was he a person fit for the Oval Office.

Fast-forward to the present-day; he has endangered not only the country but the world as a whole, making it more than necessary to vote for former Vice President Joe Biden.

Trump has subjected this country to displays of dishonesty, misinformation, and scapegoating. His policies are not only very mistaken but also dangerous, harming the very people that live in the country.

From debunking the reality of climate change and downplaying a deadly pandemic to refusing to commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose, Trump has shown how unfit he is for the job as president.

In a Biden presidency, one wouldn’t have to worry about whether the president would believe in science or not.

To Biden, it’s common sense knowledge to listen to scientists when the world is battling a deadly pandemic. He would listen to them and follow their advice because fighting the pandemic isn’t a one-man job. It’s a job that takes everyone doing their part.

Although Biden isn’t the strongest candidate, he has moral values and an understanding of the rules set forth by the Constitution. He voted for the Iraq war and his 1994 crime bill had negative effects among people of color. Unlike Trump, Biden can admit his mistakes if doing so helps the people of the United States.

When one candidate loses the election, they have to be ready to accept the results and Biden is accepting of it. During the first presidential debate, he made it clear that he will accept the results of the election, win or lose.

Trump, on the other hand, has claimed many times that he will not accept the results of the election because he’ll “have to wait and see.” He has claimed that mail-in ballots will lead to a “rigged election,” even though fact-checkers have said there is no evidence that mail-ballots lead to fraud. He is willing to cheat on an election because he knows that is the only way he can win.

On the Biden agenda, the first thing he’ll do is rejoin the Paris Agreement. The agreement deals with climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, among other things that were signed in 2016.

For a country to leave the agreement, they have to wait three years. Trump pulled the United States out on the first day possible.

As president of the United States, Trump has exploited his doings as a president. His various takes of not complying with the Constitution and attacking females that don’t agree with him proves it. This includes not wanting to comply with the results of the election and the transfer of power should Biden win.

During one of Trump’s rallies, he undermined the credentials of NBC News White House Correspondent Kristen Walker. According to CNN, he claimed that he had known her “for a long time” and that she was “very unfair.” In another instance, he called Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris “a monster.”

Biden understands that the United States is looked at as an example for other countries. He understands the responsibility that the country has to the rest of the world. If the United States shows that the country that is fine with a dictator, countries that have dealings with the United States might not want to have any further negotiations with the country.

Voting for Biden is not a matter of agreeing with everything he says. It’s voting for those people who can’t have their voices heard. It’s voting for the ones not old enough to vote yet. It’s voting for another day that democracy lives on in the United States. Without democracy, this county will crumble.

Natalia Ribeiro is a staff writer for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected].