Falcon Feelings Post-Election: Gracie Griffin
Riverdale Review: What were some of your reasons for voting in this cycle?
Gracie Griffin: I wanted to vote to essentially… keep democracy alive. I wanted to vote for stricter gun control laws, to protect a woman’s right to choose, as I was devastated by the [overturning] of Roe vs. Wade that we just saw happen 2 years ago. And really just because I care about character. I think it matters so much who the person is, what their morals are, who is running our country…and then who will ultimately have power. And so, I really wanted my vote [to support] a candidate who… I align with value-wise.
RR: What are your initial thoughts or takeaways following the election results?
GG: To be honest, I felt a sense of loss because I was so excited potentially to have a female president, and I think a lot of people…when they hear me talk about that they would say, well “you know if it’s just because you want a female president, then we can’t get behind that.” But there was so much I really did like about my candidate, and I did support her in many ways,...so I almost felt like I was grieving in a way. And that might seem dramatic to people, but to me, it really wasn’t, because that was my experience. And I remember… in 2016 waking up to the election and feeling as a 10-year-old girl, an immense sense of care for the election, and I still feel that same way 8 years later. So, just a lot of feelings, a lot of processing, but they’re turning into a lot of motivation now because I have the ability to reflect.
RR: What issues were on the ballot for you?
GG: So my base issue is abortion, a woman’s right to choose, just because I think women really aren’t treated the same way, constitutionally. We don’t have an equal rights amendment in our Constitution as well, which I think is absolutely ridiculous. And women just are treated really, when we think about it in that way, as second-class citizens who aren’t protected the same way under the Constitution. And so I was voting for a candidate who I believed would see women, men, and all people equally under the law, and would fight for us to have equal protection. But, again, keeping children safe, keeping people educated, you know it’s been devastating over the years to see the banning of books and the banning of information, and just this horrible censorship… And so I really just voted for someone who I think would endorse free speech in a way that would benefit our nation.
