Take Your Power Back

By TMP 42nd Editorial Board

As we write this editorial on Tuesday night, we don't know the name of America’s 47th President. In all probability, you do. Or maybe we're stuck in limbo, waiting for ballots to be counted and recounted. We won’t try to predict the future. 

The 2024 election is, for some of us, the first we’re old enough to understand, or even vote in. For international students, this may be the first American election you’re paying attention to—a politically and emotionally fraught one, no less. No matter your background, though, it’s clear America’s future depends on this week. 

But while the results of this election may provide a breath of relief, unleash a wave of anxiety, or perhaps give rise to something else, we at the Paper hope that the heightened political awareness the election has aroused does not crash on the shore of apathy. 

The conversations surrounding bodily autonomy, immigration, war, and America’s role in the world are far from over. Your ability to design the world in which you want to spend your life does not end in a quadrennial voting booth; it springs from your ability to strategize instead of simply agonizing. Shun indifference—take action. There’s plenty to do in the next four years. 

First and foremost, engage in local politics. Vote in city elections, attend town halls, and strike up conversations with people carrying signs on street corners. Know that the president is not the only source of power in this country—your home states are disputing a great number of issues, from transgender rights to labor laws and affordable housing, and you have the opportunity to influence them. These are the places where your voice rings the loudest, so make it heard.  

In the process, resist propaganda. Favor articles and podcasts over social media tidbits. Make sure your news sources are truthful, but don’t be afraid of “bias.” Research countries other than your own, and don’t default only to British and American news outlets. Read opinions that echo your beliefs, of course, but also exercise healthy skepticism by devoting attention to those that diverge. Recognize the potential for nuance and veracity, yet be wary of the impotent slop of hyper-neutrality. 

Once you know what you stand for, support organized activism. You don’t have to start from scratch: a myriad of hyper-specific advocacy organizations lobby for fair policies before courts, legislatures, and bureaucrats. 

Stay grounded in your community, too. At the height of the COVID pandemic, neighborhoods harnessed their solidarity to distribute food, relief funds, and personal protective equipment to vulnerable local populations. When natural disasters, homelessness, and disease ravage communities close to you, seek out groups that offer chances to donate, volunteer, and coordinate mutual aid efforts. If nothing else, introduce yourselves to your neighbors, if you haven’t yet. You’re in this together.      

Channel your drive into marching and protesting. Beyond the ballot box, your strongest tool to influence policy rests with the force of your nuisance. Remember who you were in 2020, and don’t let those convictions go. Remember that the force of public demonstrations and civil disobedience compelled so many of the changes we honor today. At the end of the day, neither Trump nor Harris (nor any politician, for that matter) will give a damn about you until you make them. 

Finally, muster the courage to face the injustices in front of you. Larger-than-life politics should not blind us to issues in our immediate environments that demand our action. From institutional discrimination to casual bigotry, we frequently confront opportunities to right wrongs, bit by bit. Those who rob employees of wages, catcall women, and publicly harass people of color assume that they will go unchallenged. Don’t prove them right. 

There are still ways for you to create the kind of society that you want to live in, no matter what happens next. If you’re afraid, be afraid—but be defiant and determined. If you’re over the moon, be over the moon, but stay persistent and critical. After all, your power is only as strong as your will to use it.