A Response to "Why Does Trump Win With White Men?"

This weekend, I read a troubling opinion article in the NYTimes titled "Why Does Trump Win With White Men?". 

This article captured my attention, mostly because it began by declaring America would look very different if only white males could vote. "We’d have a Senator Roy Moore representing Alabama, where 72 percent of the state’s white male voters…cast their ballot for a man who was accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl…We’d likely have a Senator David Duke from Louisiana…And there would never have been a President Barack Obama".

Writer Michael Sokolove went on to address the big question in academics: why? He begins by shoving statistics. Trump leads Biden amongst white men by a 12-percent margin: 53 to 41. The most recent NYTimes poll shows that more men back Trump than Biden (48% versus 42%) and that for women, it's the overwhelming opposite: 35% back Trump and 58% back Biden. 

Sokolove declared in his article that a "gender gap" exists between how men and women choose to vote: "Women tend to cast votes based on what they perceive as the overall benefit to the nation and their communities. Men are more self-interested." This raised question marks for me. It did not sit right with me. I wondered, is Sokolove viewing the complete picture? Does saying something like this inherently perpetuate sexism?

Sociologist Martin Gilens, the chairman of the public policy department at UCLA stated that the origins of the "gender gap" in voting likely "reflects traditional differences in male and female values and personalities, differences such as men’s greater competitiveness and concerns with issues of power and control, and women’s greater compassion and nurturance, rejection of force and violence, and concern with interpersonal relations.” This is extremely outdated language! I wrestled with Dr. Gilen's words, which didn't seem to fit right into today's context where women are increasingly gaining more rights throughout the world, delaying childbirth, entering male-dominated fields like government and business, and going to school at higher rates than ever throughout the world. 

Furthermore, Sokolove's article failed to address how toxic societal constructions surrounding "manliness" may drive the vote. The current president is brunt, displays vile behavior towards women, which his supporters seem to care little about, and rather than seeking to unite the country, he aggressively divides it. Sokolove makes the argument that white men tend to vote for Trump because their "main concern is more likely to be the balance in his 401(k) account." But in making that statement, Sokolove overlooked an entire group of white men who may vote for Trump out of desperation to adhere to "masculinity" standards. Trump's policies inhibit women's rights, such as abortion, more than Biden's. Particularly with Trump's recent Supreme Court nomination, Amy Coney Barrett, who is extremely pro-life, the current president supports policies that strengthen the patriarchy. This may also be driving the white male vote.

I appreciate how numbers-driven Sokolove's article is. And I also like how he delved into historical voting patterns, stating that the "gender gap" likely emerged around Reagan's election in 1980. He also provided many examples to support his argument. I think perhaps in a broader, historical sense, his argument about the gender gap in voting patterns may be true. But in this election, I would say it does not apply. The economy is in a recession no matter what so re-electing our current president is not a bet on 401(k)s. This year is unprecedented and it's time to change.

Election 2020 and Michael Beschloss

I'm disenchanted by the fact that I'm less than one month too young to vote in the 2020 election. In fact, I am precisely 28 days too young; the election happens just four weeks before my 18th birthday. 

Last night, Andover invited Michael Beschloss '73 to talk about the importance of the imminent November 3rd date. Beschloss is an American historian who specializes in the US Presidency. I attended his talk over Zoom on Friday night, which inspired me a new understanding of the importance of this election from a historical aspect.  

Beschloss's talk resonated most when he dissected the outlooks of the first few presidents of the United States, namely George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, and compared them to the current administration. I soaked in Beschloss's words because they reminded me of what I'd learned in my US history course last year about the founding of this country. He spoke to how George Washington's humbleness and refusal to serve a third term as the first President of the United States set a precedent for future leaders of this country. And from a historical sense, this makes sense: the two term limit wasn't amended until after FDR's third term in the late 1940s post WWII. Beschloss also mentioned how Washington and Jefferson refused to take third terms because they believed the United States President was honor-bound not too take too much power. Jefferson didn't even dress up for his inaugural day; he dressed as an ordinary citizen because he believed the role of the President was not to be monarchical. 

This part lingered with me greatly, because what this country has witnessed in the past year would put Jefferson and Washington to tears. The democracy of this country, the ability to have our voices heard through voting, is at risk. This democracy that hundreds of thousands of people died fighting for throughout the entire history of this country, that was actually the catalyst for the very founding of this country, is all at risk because we have a president who is trying to hinder our voices from being heard. 

When the President of the United States quotes the Soviet Union, snuggles up to our enemies while affronting our allies, and harbors pertinent information from the American people, I cannot help but believe this person is trying to become a dicator, not the President of a freedom-loving, democratic society that Washington and Jefferson embodied and envisioned. Our current President honors none of the values upon which this country was founded and neglects the history of this nation. Nevertheless, he advertently spreads blasphemous lies in an attempt to deceive the American people with false information. 

While I write this post today, I must be frank in that I did not always feel as strongly about voting this man out of office. His treatment of women, transactions with foreign leaders, and the image he projected of America always bothered me. Yet as an Independent, and an independent thinker, I gave him a chance. The economy was doing well before the pandemic. Unemployment rates were at a 50 year low, the mean household income had risen to over $68,000, and the market was performing well. Nevertheless, my views have shifted dramatically this year when a series of behaviors and actions undertaken by the President negated his performance beyond the returns of a strong economy. While I surely do not agree with everything the Dems propose, I adamantly stand by the fact that we need a change in leadership. We need to reinstill basic human decency. 

Would you go back to your childhood?

Every season is characterized by something different. In the winter, I think of the sun ironically. It's more glaring in the winter as it pierces right through the bare trees and reflects off the snow. Winter also brings a deathly silence outdoors. There are moments where the only thing I can hear is my own heaving breath. Sound is almost frozen, suffocating and unable to travel through the stifling air.  Spring is a beautiful time of year and is certainly my favorite season. Not the wet, chilly parts of spring, but the mild, sunny days where the grass is just beginning to reveal shades of green. The air in the spring feels wet and heavy but in a refreshing way. Unlike the winter, where sound is frozen, I hear birds for the first time in months when it's spring. Sound in my ears. That's when I know warmer weather is to come. 

When I think about summer, I'm reminded of my clothes clinging to every part of my body. Sweat pools at my sternum and I feel my socks stick to the bottoms of my shoes. I also always wear a hat outdoors in the summer. Summer is characterized by my blurry selfie camera on my phone from humidity

And then there's fall. Where we are right now. I love the fall because of the crisp air, New England colors, and because it's dahlia season. The leaves crunch everywhere I walk and pine needles that would otherwise not be affected by a storm fall at the slightest gusts of wind. But I love fall because it's also a time where I see and hear a lot of kids playing outside. Their giggles ripple through my windows where I'm studying. When I drive through town, I see kids biking, playing with chalk, jump roping, or probably playing some version of "house". 

And that's where the bittersweet edge of fall comes into play. While I feel a sprinkling of sadness with winter's approach, the ecstasy of little kids playing outsides evokes a great bittersweet taste within me. Their happiness, joy, and innocence puts my current teenage lifestyle to shame. When I see them playing "house" or trying to sell things outside it's reminds me of what unabridged imagination can do. I remember thinking I was going to become Bill Gates selling friendship bracelets and "perfume" made of grass and vanilla extract outside my house when I was young.  When I was younger, anything felt tangible: if I could imagine it then it could happen. The mere possibility of every thought becoming true made me happy as a kid.

But would I forsake knowledge and darkness in return for that level of innocence again? To be stripped of all responsibilities and knowledge? Would I rather just live in bliss like that? Perhaps this points to English philosopher Jeremy Bentham's thoughts on pleasure and pain. When the world grows difficult and I start to lose control of my reins on life, perhaps I do wish I could go back a little. To relieve myself of reality. To just…be. But I wouldn't want to give up my knowledge for innocence. The world is ugly and society is not as just, perfect, or ideal as I imagined it as a kid. But I wouldn't give it up. Perhaps that's why I'm still bearing it all day by day. 

Dahlias

 It's been a difficult and long week. I don't think I've felt this stressed in a while, if ever. Balancing my performance in classes with college applications is harder than I imagined. Furthermore, the fact that classes are taking more time than I anticipated has dragged my days into midnight. 

But there's always something to appreciate, even in these grueling, last couple of weeks before my earlies are due and today, I found that bit of light at Whole Foods. By luck, the moment my mom and I walked through the door, a FiveFork Farms truck pulled up with a fresh batch of dahlias in the most watercolor-esque blends. I love flowers but I rarely buy fresh-cut ones. I dislike when a part of me almost withers with the flowers near the end of their cycle. Nonetheless, these flowers were too good to pass on. Dahlias in the most perfect, spherical shapes of the purples and pinks that I love. I hope they bring a little brilliance to your day too. 

Things I love Lately

Week 2 of school done. Onto Week 3. Since it's my senior fall term, it doesn't surprise me that my days are long and filled with to-dos. I completed a daunting list of to-dos this weekend, which I believe will benefit me greatly in this upcoming week as I shy closer to 1 month from turning in my earlies. When I've had a long emotional day, packed with activities, classes, meetings, and homework from 6:30 to midnight, I whisper to myself before bed that it's just 3 more months before I'm completely done with college work. Even during these long days where sunlight hours grow increasingly short, I'm holding onto new things I'm discovering that I enjoy. 

Pilates. I tried Pilates back in June and it's really changed the way I workout. Instead of running 5 miles, which equates around 50 minutes of cardio, and then walking a mile, 20 minutes, I will run around 4 miles and do 30 minutes of pilates in the end. I've gotten better muscle tone, hills are easier to run up, and I can finally do 10 good pushups. Recently, I added resistance bands to my routine and I've found that the same exercises are continuously challenging, which I love. 

G.E.M. She's a Chinese singer from Taiwan. I've been in love with her music lately. Not traditional Chinese music, but very upbeat pop. From what I've heard, she's pretty well known in Asia and from listening to her music, it doesn't come as a surprise. Though I have trouble picking out the lyrics, unlike other Chinese pop songs, I find the harmonies, the editing, and G.E.M's mixed usage of Chinese and English appealing. Her songs make up the majority of my "on repeat" playlist on Spotify because they're true "all-occasion" songs.

European History. I'm learning about the Renaissance in my European History right now. In previous history classes, the Renaissance was often referred to as a period of "enlightenment" which didn't really make sense to me. It's clear now that the Renaissance was a period of tremendous progress in the arts, sciences, and philosophy. But what intrigues me most about the time was how people's perceptions of their own life changed; they grew more outward-looking. Rather than focusing on the sole mission of getting to heaven, people wanted to live in the now…to be present. And this mentality is in part responsible for the tremendous amount of growth that occurred academically and culturally during the time. I suppose this points to the very importance of community engagement in today's society. While it was certainly emphasized back then amongst Renaissance thinkers, the importance of community service is no less important today in driving positive societal change. 

What are things you love lately?

One week

 It's amazing what can change in just one week. 

One week. 1/52 of a long year. Small but surprisingly powerful. Some weeks go by and I can't seem to pinpoint any noticeable changes in myself. Others go by and I struggle to realize the amount of chaos,hat occurred happened in just…one week. Why is this? Perhaps that's proves the efficacy of blogging once per week. I believe a person really can change in a matter of one week, for better or for worse. 

This past week, I started school. 

I got to know my prefects better. 

I attended a leadership training session about drugs and alcohol. 

I ended a relationship with a friend. 

I complied my summer's work of college essays. 

I received feedback on my common app essay. 

I met all my teachers for the first time. 

Ruth Bader Ginsberg passed away at 87.

While each of these moments doesn't directly change me on an individual scale, they collectively represent tangible personal growth in just one week. 

I learned more about myself this past week. 

My morales of fairness was challenged by my friend. 

I adjusted to my schedule for the upcoming 9 nine weeks. 

The culmination of a summer's work on college essays faced reality when I sent my drafts out to my counselor. 

The political landscape changed from just one week ago.

I am continuously amazed by the power of time. I suppose the only thing truly out of human control is this element. Some things only time can tell. For some, that time can't come quickly enough. For others, every week brings an opportunity to become a better person, to understand something more deeply, to support another. I realize again and again that the element moving me forward most is time. Hence, the power behind just one week.

Anxiety, Senior Year, and my goal

 I'm feeling a little anxiety as the first day of classes rolls around the corner. My day begins with my usual workout, followed by the first All School Meeting of the year. My last first ASM of high school. 

It's as if everything is a last first. Last first fall term. Last first time driving to campus in the fall. So many imminent changes in this upcoming year, from knowing where I'll go to college to how the remainder of the year will look. 

I'm trying to gather my thoughts before classes begin and I haven't yet finished working through the weeds. I thought back to what I wrote last week about summer 2020 being the three months that every preceding summer was spent fretting over. This past week I finally found a cohesive, clear way to say what I've been trying to express. This past summer was the most important summer of my childhood. Most important because it was the culmination of everything I've experienced at this point in my meager 17 years of existence. But it's also the most important because it's the summer that would help me transition from a child into an adult. It's the summer before I moved onto the next phase of my life. 

I'm walking into senior year, my first classes, and my last first ASM with one very clear goal for myself. In precedent years, many argued high school was just 3 years plus one term long. And I've heard people say this because many students give up, slack off, or experience an extreme case of senioritis in the winter and spring terms in their final year. My goal is to leave Andover with four solid years of high school under my belt. I signed up for high school, not 3 years and 1 term. I'll continue working hard, learning for the enjoyment of it, and attending all my classes. I must also ensure I continue to choose challenging courses and pushing myself to the limit. Because while I may be moving onto the next phase of my life (college), I'll never finish my academic endeavors so why stop now?

Reality

 "Reality leaves a lot to the imagination" -John Lennon

This week, reality slapped. Orientation begins this week. Classes begin in two weeks. The reality is that school is starting back up again, something that felt impossibly far way back in March when the pandemic hit. I suppose a part of me, in March, believed we would never reach this point. But somehow time just flew by, as I usually find out, and the day is creeping in closer than before. 

Reality slapped because this past week, I realized my summer is pretty much over. The long-anticipated summer before I apply to college is almost over. The summer where I would spend my days writing essays. A no-messing-around summer. In May, I feared for the subsequent three months before school and a large part of this comes from the anxiety that has built up over the years around summer 2020. I'm on the other side now. I made it through this summer and I accomplished what I had so fearfully accrued. 

Reality does leave a lot of room to the imagination. For me, I'm often entranced by the what if's. What if I procrastinated so much and didn't start my essays at all this summer? What if school never started again? What if life got in the way and I fell behind on college apps? The reality is that time will draw everything to a close. Imagination just scares us by making this stretch of time seem farther, larger, and more intimidating than it really is. Hence, to John Lennon's point.  

How kindness manifests

I've been thinking a bit about kindness in the context of manifestation. How come some people appear unctuous and kind until you hear them go behind their friend's back? Or others sulkily sit in the corner of the room and you can't help wondering who they are. This is not meant to categorize people. Rather, I hope understanding that kindness manifests in people differently will inspire us to give everyone a chance, no matter whether they're smiling when they see us or look blank.
 

I believe there are four primary kinds of people when it comes to the manifestation of kindness. Some people appear kind because they genuinely are. I have an immense amount of respect for these people who believe in the best in others, ask others how they're doing, and seem sincerely concerned about other people's wellbeing. I have a friend on Snapchat who periodically asks me how I'm doing. Just out of the blue. We start a little streak and she always asks out of true kindness with no strings attached. She doesn't want anything from me or ask anything of me; she just wants to know how I'm doing. Thank you, EL, for showing me true kindness on both the inside and out. 

On the opposite side, there are people who appear overtly nice when you talk to them. These people spark great conversations, they give great advice on the spot, and they're energetic about life. While these people are few in number, I've learned to notice them when you for simple favors. They sort of…crack in these moments. They make quick excuses not to help you out on simple, non-time consuming tasks. It's not that these people aren't nice, they are. They just need to focus on themselves before focusing on helping their friends.

Then there are the people who aren't as kind and don't care to hide it. They're vicious on the outside and it's hard to reach them inside. Too often they're ignored by folks who "don't want to trigger them" but in turn this often backfires, leading to greater degrees of self-doubt. I seek to understand these people. While few in number, I don't believe people mean harm to the world and that everyone deserves a chance to be heard and understood. After all, experiences influence our actions more than anything so there may be a reason why some people have a darkness buried within. 

And then I've noticed a fourth kind of person. Again, I don't intend to categorize people and this is from my mere observation. They're the people who live with good intentions, to be kind to the world and people. But they don't show it. It's shrouded behind a scowl, a frown, a blank stare, or skepticism. These people are kind but too often they're not given a chance to show it. People falsely perceive just the frown instead of what lies beneath it. These are the people who also need to be given a chance to show themselves. Maybe some simple ice-breaker questions such as tell me about a funny moment is all that it takes. Maybe it will take more. 

I share my observations here because high school taught me that not everyone can walk around with a smile, can comfortably sit down at any table in the dining hall and have a conversation with people, or feel comfortable enough with themselves to attend massive social gatherings. But too often, it's the first two kinds of people who seem to cruise through socially by virtue of a natural, collective human instinct that attracts us to sources of joy. I hope this inspires a sense of renewal and reflection. So now I ask you, how does your kindness manifest?

Some weeks

Some weeks go by faster than others. This past week was another example of those weeks-are-minutes moments. Every minute of the day seemed to be put to use as I worked through some college questions.

Some weeks, history is made and this past week was one of them. For the first time in history, a female person of color has been put on the ballot of a major political party. Kamala Harris would be the first female vice president, first black vice president and first Asian-American vice president if elected. Almost since it's inception, American has never just been one cohort of people; America was built on diversity and immigrants. It's about time that we see that representation in politics. It's not enough for the President, leader, or influencers to say they care about black lives matter, or that they're not racist, or that they support the causes of POCs. They have to show it and nothing shows this celebration of diversity more than through a critical presidential election like 2020. 

Some weeks, the weather is scorching behind reason. Every day this past week saw temperatures in the high 80s to 90s. It was terrifyingly hot and a stark reminder that global warming is happening. I usually love to read outdoors and take a nap under the umbrella but it was so hot this past week that sweat seeped through my shirt even if I was sitting still. 

Some weeks, waking up is easier than others. This past week I didn't accidentally sleep in. By high school, most people have established a personal system for waking up. Some people need to set the alarm earlier than they actually need to be up and others wake up as soon as it goes off. I'm one of those people who needs to be prepared to wake up so I set my alarm a tad bit earlier than I actually want to be up. The problem I've encountered for much of the summer is waking up 1 to 1.5 hours later. This week I was up within 40 minutes of my alarm going off so my day started just that much earlier but it made me feel greatly productive. 

It's about getting through the weeks. I'm looking forward to the week when classes restart. I'm looking forward to the week I turn in my early apps. I'm looking forward to the week when I finally get to see my friends in person. The days just seem to fly by so rapidly they're gone before we realize it. But weeks are still (thankfully) slower.