I am a volunteer soccer coach for underprivileged kids in the impoverished Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco. Every morning on my short walk to the soccer field, I see more than twenty homeless individuals on a single block. These encounters leave a deep impression on me; I feel for these people and am angry at society for allowing them to suffer.
From mentoring my students in San Francisco, I developed an understanding of the harsh realities my students face in their day to day lives. The connections I built with my students motivated me to educate myself on ways to help solve economic inequality. That is how my attention gravitated towards the democratic presidential debate stage.
Not only did I watch the debates and visit campaign sites, but I also researched economic policies incorporated within the candidates’ platforms and analyzed the debate transcripts to see how the discussion of economics was taking shape.
What I noticed was that even though these candidates presented detailed, actionable proposals on their campaign websites, these economic ideas never appeared on the national spotlight of the democratic debates. The candidates left their detailed economic plans behind to avoid criticism from the media.
But this is not what our country needs. The general public wants to hear tangible proposals to solve pressing economic issues. Countless individuals across the country are experiencing situations of poverty similar to what I witnessed in San Francisco. The reality is that there are people in need. The democratic candidates must lay out their concrete solutions to instill hope and move society forward.
Being a 17 year old high school senior, I will soon be eligible to vote before November 2020 comes around, which makes it ever more important that I am paying attention to our national politics. Since this is my first time voting, I carry no filters and am going in with open eyes. I hope that our leaders can have the right discussions, focus on what is at stake for the less fortunate, and keep the public wellbeing of our country as the number one goal.
About the author
Aidan Chueh is a senior at Palo Alto High School getting ready to vote in his first presidential election in 2020. Outside of school, he likes to play soccer, mentor kids, and travel the world. Aidan is a volunteer soccer coach for underprivileged kids in an impoverished San Francisco neighborhood.
About the author
Aidan Chueh is a senior at Palo Alto High School.
Outside of school, he likes to play soccer, mentor kids, and travel the world. Aidan is a volunteer soccer coach for underprivileged kids in an impoverished San Francisco neighborhood
