Living in a divided America truly has its challenges. I wonder to myself: Does the United States live up to its name? Or does it widdle away with this dysfunction of a pandemic?  

This election year has shown others like me within the Dickinson community how “we have more in common than what separates us,” as Kamala Harris has stated. That we all, despite our differences, stand on the shoulders of this nation we call America.  

From the beginning of this pandemic, I realized our perspective of society would never be the same. Our new normal started to emerge and with that came with the 2020 Presidential Election.  

As the Coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak destruction on our society, my vision on who will have the motivation to bring Americans together has surfaced.  

Despite having more than 185,000 people who have already died from the Coronavirus, President Trump continues to put his political ego ahead of the public health crisis. The Trump Administration has done nothing to increase testing to levels that are crucial to combat the virus. Instead of conducting a larger testing capacity to coincide with the obligations of Americans, his administration appears to have influenced the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to lower the need for testing to fit the current testing capability. 

In contrast to Donald Trump and his GOP, with their lack of understanding, Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris have shown the American people that they matter. The Biden-Harris campaign shows that I can dream. And reach the highest part of the American purpose, which is to serve the American people. 

Although most of us, as citizens, are not elected officials, I believe that we all bottle a sense of dreaming. Whether we want to work as teachers, construction workers, doctors, or elected officials, we all have a purpose. 

From the start of the Biden-Harris campaign, I have seen a change in American society as we know it. Joe Biden and his record show the amount of work he had to put forth to be the 47th vice president of the United States and as a father who has experienced significant tragedy. As Vice-President, he advocated for healthcare reform, the rights of LGBTQ people, and a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.  

As a person of color, I recognize that as essential to building this country back better. But also see me within Kamala Harris, who, if elected, would be the first Black and Asian American vice president. Senator Harris is not only an Indian American, a Black woman, and a child of immigrants, she is also a proud historically black college and university (HBCU) graduate.  

You can almost see the collective freak-out amongst Trump’s base. From his claims on social media that Harris might be unfit to serve as vice president because she is a child of immigrants, to him pushing lies about the birthplace of President Barack Obama, who was the first Black president.  

With that said, as this current election cycle continues, the Biden-Harris campaign has the drive to make this world a better place. They not only have to fight for themselves but for the people that do not dare or have the courage to speak up.