This year’s election ruined seasonal traditions and holidays for families and students.
Many people say the elections are inherently unfair, but we tend to forget to consider how the election is also unfair to minors and people who don’t participate in politics.
Starting in the summer, we began seeing many signs expressing people’s opinions on who the next president would be. Towns are flooded with patriotic symbols that quickly change to political signs, taking the graduating class of 2024 out of the spotlight when they just graduated in June.
Typically, June is dedicated to the graduating class of the year. We usually see signs congratulating our seniors for all their hard work, and towns are lined with Class of ** signs. This year, our poor students got none of that praise that they deserve, taking the glory away from their special month.
In 2024, people were more concerned about all the elections approaching; there were barely any signs congratulating the seniors around Long Island. We saw even more disappointment as the season changed from summer to fall.
One significant difference you may have noticed was the choice of clothing. Instead of their usual fun fall outfits, everyone wore shirts, hats, and jewelry with slogans and graphics representing whatever side they supported.
People couldn’t care less about the fall and “spooky season,” and the seasonal change was barely celebrated. All people cared about was getting pumpkins to carve political things into so they could put them in their front yards, turning Jack O’Lanterns into more unnecessary partisan signage. Even pumpkin patches had political signs. Fewer people decorated their houses or made them look as if it were October. Halloween was hijacked by the politicians. The decorations were unwelcoming, and we had fewer trick-or-treaters than in past years.
It was sad to see the most beautiful time of year be ruined by an event that causes a lot less happiness and fun than what we sho