Our current political climate is a divisive one. Since the 2016 election, it seems we as Americans are not quite sure what qualifications the people we put in charge of us should have. The way those in power talk about and execute justice, one of our most important values as Americans, is being questioned. Due to many recent injustices, including accusations about false imprisonments of African Americans and sexual assault, an interesting question is raised: who is fit to make these decisions for the citizens of America? The bare minimum for being elected to any governing position should be having a college education and representing those outside your social location.
A more diverse pool of qualified, reasonable, and emotionally stable men and women would make our country run in a more just and fair way. A mix of empathy and experience would allow justice for more than one group of people. Sharice Davids would be an example of such a candidate. Her law degree from Cornell certainly makes her qualified in terms of her education, but she also empathizes with people from marginalized communities and backgrounds, informed by her own position as a Native American woman. This combined set of experiences, both her education and her social location, make her uniquely qualified to be a politician.
Who is fit to run our country? People of different races, gender identities, sexual identities, ages, religions, and even country of origin. While these categories of difference have often been a barrier for marginalized people breaking into politics, they shouldn’t be any longer. We should be more concerned with our politicians being smart, caring people who are trying to make our world a better place. We must also hold our leaders accountable. People with the biggest capacity for understanding, experience, and rationalism are the people that deserve to make these choices for our country.
