Ilana Glazer urges Gen Z and Millennials to vote for Harris and Walz to protect our democracy and empower a future shaped by progressive values.
I’m voting for Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz. As a democracy built on a framework of white supremacy and genocide, the existence of the United States is fraught with fatal contradictions. I was disgusted as I witnessed our country’s hypocrisy and its deadly effects unfolding in real time in Gaza. That complicates voting for Harris.
But it’s fucking complicated.
And for now, the United States remains a representative democracy. As Donald Trump has threatened, this may be our last election term.
We are living in the midst of a fascist rebellion on Earth. The most daring examples are Israel’s Netanyahu, Russia’s Putin, and America’s Donald Trump. Neo-Nazis are on the rise within the German government. Viktor Orbán remains in power in Hungary, and El Salvador’s fascist president Nayib Bukele was reelected in a landslide. Democracies are losing ground to dictatorships around the world, with power consolidating among an increasingly small number of men.
This may be our last chance to maintain a system that invites us to participate.
Beyond this moment, a new world awaits us, but we must build it brick by brick. “Burning everything down” is not a realistic option. There is no slash-and-burn method, but instead we create fertile soil and plant new seeds for a new beginning. Our democracy is being burned to the ground, and waiting in the wings is a fascist regime swooping in to take control of your body based on a roadmap called Project 2025. Your period will be tracked. IVF will no longer be accessible. You won’t be able to buy condoms either.
This is all bleak, but there is an alternative, albeit imperfect one. But all we have in front of us is what’s relevant to this moment and one of the next two presidential administrations. Kamala Harris or Donald Trump?
I’m voting for Kamala Harris for president and Tim Walz for vice president. Because theirs is the administration I want to be a part of for the next four years, representing causes that are important to me and my generation. For their administration, I will call for an arms embargo on Israel, push for regulation of AI, stop police cities from popping up across the country, and expand Biden’s climate force, already 175 wants to demand the continuation of Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, which has provided relief. Billions in student debt.
If elected, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz would become the faces of a huge team of tens of thousands of people. And these are the people I want to hold accountable for their campaign promises to tax billionaires and provide down payment assistance to first-time homeowners, reduce medical debt, and legalize marijuana. ization, etc.
If Trump is elected President of the United States, which is an imminent possibility of literally single-digit votes in key counties in battleground states, I’m worried about Trump, Mitch McConnell, and Lindsay. -Not even Graham. they will die soon.
I worry about people in their 40s like J.D. Vance, Josh Hawley, Ron DeSantis, Elise Stefanik, Lauren Boebert, and Jared Kushner. We could be under their control for the rest of our lives, as Trump threatened to “terminate parts of the country.” And for years, they have lied about free and fair elections to the highest levels of public office. And if Trump wins, he will likely fill two Supreme Court seats with people in their 40s who will be in control of our bodies for the rest of their lives.
Gen Z and Millennials currently account for 41 million potential voters. We mark the largest ever voting bloc in America’s 248-year history. Our generation has the power to decide the next presidential administration.
This is our world and the world we will be living in for the next 40 to 70 years.
I believe in Gen Z and Millennials. We are the most self-actualized adult generation modern civilization has ever seen. We focus on mental health. We value friendship and have redefined what friendship means. We are critical but tolerant of the children of boomer parents. We can grieve, grieve, and mourn within mainstream discourse. Many white Gen Z and Millennials are able to confront our whiteness, reflect on it, and understand it as a construct. Our generation can accommodate many people.
Under the administration of President Kamala Harris and Vice President Tim Walz, we have the best hope of building power among progressive Gen Z and Millennials. Those already in office, such as Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, America’s youngest congressman Maxwell Frost, and New York City Councilman Chi O-se, are leading with their values and are leading with their personal values. It gives us hope.
My values strive to minimize destruction and suffering and maximize conditions for improvement. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are the best opportunities we have. I believe that as a generation, we can elect this government and inspire them to build the world we will have to live in long after they are gone.
Faith is a practice. This is a decision that requires dedication, repetition, and willpower.
Please join us. Let’s protect what democracy we have left by voting for the only pro-democracy party in this election. Vote for Vice President Kamala Harris, Governor Tim Walz, and Democratic candidates until the end of your ballot. Message your friends and encourage them to do the same. You can do this. It’s tough right now, but please have a little faith with me.
Related: 2024 Michigan Voting Guide
Ilana Glazer is a comedian, actor, advocate, and creator who co-created and co-starred in the critically acclaimed series BROAD CITY. She co-wrote and starred in the film FALSE POSITIVE, produced by A24 and available on Hulu. She appeared in the Apple TV+ movies “ROUGH NIGHT” and “THE AFTERPARTY.” Ilana is the co-founder of the nonprofit Generator Collective. The Generator Collective aims to define minimum citizen participation and humanize policy through people-powered stories on social media. “BABES,” which she co-wrote, co-starred in, and produced, was released this year along with “Neon.” Ilana recently toured with ILANA GLAZER LIVE, performing stand-up comedy in the United States and Canada.
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