Issues Affecting This Election
BLM , Supreme Court among factors that voters must consider
By Teddy Dunn and Patrick Karam Chieftain Staff
With the election right around the corner and the two debates over , here are some of the main issues in our country and the candidates ’ stances on them .
Black Lives Matter
Recently , the BLM movement has been in the forefront of current news . After the deaths of Breonna Taylor and , especially , George Floyd , protests began all over the nation to demand police reform . Protests have since died down , but the media has still been reporting on the issue and our nation has not yet forgotten their deaths .
With our nation quickly going downhill after “ protesters ’’ began burning down businesses , looting stores , and assaulting or murdering those who oppose their views , you would assume President Trump would do something , but we have yet to see any kind of support for the BLM movement .
While President Trump hasn ’ t done very much , Joe Biden has said that our nation needs more police reform . With BLM being a hot-button issue , especially in our current world , this factor will carry a lot of weight in the election and will have many people carefully listening to the two candidates ’ answers .
Although both candidates say they care about race equality , it is more important to Biden supporters .
Supreme Court Another salient issue is Supreme Court appointees . Following the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg , a more leftleaning judge , Trump is trying to put in a new judge before the election . Nomionating a conservative Supreme Court Justice is an easy way to leave a lasting effect during your Presidency .
This issue is very much like when Antonin Scalia passed away before the 2016 election and past President Obama tried to put up a Justice the Democrats
A protest in Brooklyn about the August shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha , Wisc .
OPINION
backed . In 2016 , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , a Republican , declared any appointment by the sitting President to be null and void . He said the next Supreme Court justice should be chosen by the next President .
This year it ’ s looking like Trump ’ s Supreme Court appointee , Amy Coney Barrett , will be put in as a Justice due to the Republicans holding a majority in the Senate . This has outraged the Democrats , who are calling out the hypocrisy after what happened in 2016 .
During her hearing for the position , Barrett did a great job handling questions , especially during a relentless round of questions and concerns from Kamala Harris , Biden ’ s running mate .
COVID-19
Another massive issue in this year ’ s election has obviously been the CO- VID-19 pandemic . Trump has told our country that we can plan on having a vaccine by the election , especially after he just got COVID and tried a new experimental remedy with great results , while Biden sees the virus lasting till at least 2021 .
Trump ’ s closing of the borders has been called dumb by Biden , but many , including Democrats in Congress , said it saved millions of lives because it limited the spread of the virus .
When COVID-19 took off in the Spring , many people were laid off , stocks plummeted , and many companies filed for bankruptcy , putting the economy into disarray . As many states ’ COVID cases slowed in the Summer , the economy began returning to normal . In fact , the economy is now at an all-time high , but the unemployment number also is at an all-time high . Biden has stated that he sees it returning to normal on its own .
COVID also may have an effect on mail-in ballots . Although it ’ s safer , due to avoiding human contact , it ’ s not without its flaws . Many have questioned if the mail-in ballots are safely making it to the destination .
Brother Rice High School Chieftain Page 6 octob e r 2020
Photo by E McGregor