Many Americans celebrate the outcome of the election with new president-elect Joe Biden and his vice president Kamala Harris. However, in order to fix the issues the country faces such as racial inequality and COVID-19, we must not think the results of the election magically solved all of our problems.
Firstly, over 70 million people voted for Trump. In doing so, these voters showed that Trump’s racist, xenophobic, and LGBT+ phobic actions and rhetoric was not a deal breaker. They are allowing a president who would not condemn white supremacy and continuously calls the coronavirus “China virus.”
Being okay with having a president who does not respect others’ existence only shows that many people in the US are still okay with systemic racism and do not value basic human rights. This puts many at risk simply for who they love or the color of their skin.
Additionally, racial inequality has always been a problem in our country, but nobody could ignore the conversations about race now. Heavy media coverage of Black Lives Matter and protest after the video-recorded murder of George Floyd allowed for the conversation of race inequity to grow louder and efforts to fix these issues has grown larger.
Even though America voted out a President who pushes racist rhetoric, we cannot forget the institutions that have been around for decades and continually oppress Black, indigenous, and other POC still exist. Biden’s win didn’t make any of them magically disappear.
There is still over-policing in primarily Black neighborhoods, causing Black individuals to be 5 times more likely to be arrested than their white peers according to research done by Business Insider. With disparities in the justice system, a Michigan State University report states Black people are 50 percent more likely to be wrongfully convicted of a crime.
Biden does plan to devote money to helping entrepreneurs of color and boost retirement security and financial wealth for BIPOC. He also plans on trying to make college free for any family who makes less than $125,000 a year, allowing 90% of Black, Latino, and Native Americans to go to college without worrying about ginormous tuition fees according to NPR. He emphasizes healing America and moving forward together.
Furthermore, while Biden may not downplay the effects of the coronavirus as the current president has, the effects of COVID-19 are still real. Even with a vaccine hopefully coming soon, some people may not want to receive the vaccine.
According to a poll conducted by Stat, two thirds of Americans would get the vaccine if it lowered their chance of catching COVID by 75%. So not only is a vaccinated person’s chance of getting the virus only lowered, not eliminated, over 111 million will not be vaccinated.
If people do get vaccinated and the vaccination only lowers the chance of contracting COVID-19, getting back to normal will be harder and a longer process than many think. Wearing masks in establishments and online events will continue if people cannot follow safety guidelines and quarantine as best as possible.
Personal responsibility and downplaying the virus is not working; the harm COVID-19 has done to this country has not been taken seriously as people continue to die. Americans can continue to urge friends to wear their mask and socially distance, but Biden needs to figure out if he should place a national mask mandate and map out how the country will move forward.
Currently, Biden’s first 100 days plan includes figuring out how to stop the spread. While he emphasizes it may not be completely fixed, he prioritizes getting vaccines out to the public. Biden plans to impose a mask mandate for those in federal buildings, trains, buses, and airplanes. He also wants to prioritize schools reopening and passing a $900 billion relief bill.
People still need to push for the change they want to see in this country. With this election, Americans can see what can happen if they truly want change. If they work as hard to get Trump out of office, we can find resolutions to issues such as racial injustice and COVID-19.