HARLINGEN — Buzzwords.
That’s what so many people hear, and want to hear, when deciding the presidential election.
That’s what Abby De Leon, 17, has observed during this election year. Abby, a Harlingen High School South senior, said people will hear phrases like, “Let’s Make America Great Again.” It’s an easily-memorized phrase by Donald Trump, just like many of Hillary Clinton’s phrases.
People hear these buzzwords/phrases and think they’re informed. Do the catch phrases carry substance?
“They don’t want to hear why, they don’t want to learn,” said Abby, a senior who participated in Harlingen High School South’s mock election Thursday and Friday.
The “One Vote 2016” exercise in election proceedings was led by students and coordinated by Ralph De La Rosa, Advanced Placement government teacher.
“What we did, we voted for president and then we had an exit poll with 10 items,” De La Rosa said. Those issues included gun control, foreign policy and immigration.
“I wanted to make sure our students are able to participate in the election process,” he said.
Friday, Denae Nyquist and Ashley Martinez, both 17-year-old seniors, were tabulating votes according to ethnicity, age and gender.
“Put three for Hillary,” said Ashley, pointing to the box next to “W” for white.
They were both enjoying the process. The straight count was 703 for Hillary Clinton and 375 for Donald Trump.
“We are really getting into the process and learning about what’s really going on,” Ashley said.
A board on the wall showed several write-in candidates, including Libertarian Gary Johnson. Several also voted for Bernie Sanders, who lost the Democratic Primary to Hillary Clinton.
Meanwhile, Adam Peña was crunching numbers in a spreadsheet he’d created the previous night.
“I separated the votes under age, gender and ethnicity and under individual issues,” said Adam, 17, a senior.
The exercise was teaching many students more about the electoral process.
“There’s a lot of different people, seeing their ethnicity or their gender, voting for candidates you would think they wouldn’t vote for,” said Abby.
She spoke specifically about women’s health care and minority issues, which she felt Donald Trump would not support. Yet she’s spoken to women and minorities who support him.
“I have a background in debate,” Abby said. “I get to see both sides. I look at them with a blank slate.”
What concerns her is the number of people who are not well informed but they think they are.
“They don’t know what’s going on,” she said. “They hear these buzzwords and they have no idea.”
Buzzwords can be words or phrases that candidates obsessively repeat, and voters hear them and think they’re informed.
One of Clinton’s catch phrases is “An economy for everyone, not just those at the top.”
Trump on the other hand consistently orders everyone to, “Reject bigotry and hatred and oppression in all of its forms.”
Abby’s been rather perturbed when she’s had discussions which revealed someone wasn’t well informed. She’s given them reading material, and they’ve come back to her with shocked expressions.
“I had no idea that was so important,” they tell her.
What seems to be important for Abby and many other students is today’s political climate and how the candidates plan to address important issues. De La Rosa said based on the caliber of students he’s been working with, the country’s future is in very good hands.
There’s no mocking this election
HARLINGEN — All it took was one comment to set off a heated discussion among the young citizens.
Too bad they couldn’t vote, being 16 and 17 years old. They displayed an astute political knowledge of the candidates and issues this election year.
“I voted for Trump,” said Jacob Fraga, 16, a junior at Harlingen High School South. They held a mock election the previous day.
Jacob had already experienced some fallout about his vote. Now the group of students he sat with yesterday afternoon wanted an explanation, and fast.
“What I heard from Hillary, what I found out, how she lied in those emails, people get sent to jail for a fifth of what she did,” Jacob said.
Angry noises and whispers quickly swept through the group.
“I agree what she did was wrong,” said Kendrick Stephenson, 16, who seemed ready with a “but.” He wasn’t able to get it in before more troubled discussion arose.
Several of the young ladies made comments about Trump, and Jacob asked, “What has he done?”
Chris Luna, 16, sitting next to him, sort of cringed and began berating Trump.
“Let’s start off with women, the way he is with women,” said Chris, a junior.
“Especially when they are debating and he interrupted her without letting her finish,” added Lisa Pompa, 17, a junior.
A feverish debate arose about Trump and Clinton. Lisa, Chris and Megan Adair voiced visible anger about Trump.
“I vote straight ticket,” said Megan, 16, who voted for Libertarian Gary Johnson. She quickly took the discussion in a different direction that would eventually tie in with the presidential election.
“I’m a libertarian constitutionalist,” said Megan, a junior. “I think we should retain our constitutional rights. My main thing is gun control. I believe we should have the right to bear arms.”
“I agree with that,” said Chris and Kendrick at the same time.
“We have a Second Amendment right to protect ourselves,” Megan said. “Our Second Amendment right was put in place to protect ourselves.”
More dialogue arose about gun control, different types of control, background checks.
The concern was voiced that Clinton wants to put tighter controls on gun ownership such limiting the size of magazines and restricting the ownership of assault rifles.
“I think Donald Trump would be the best for that,” said Joshua, referring to Trump’s ardent support of gun ownership. He said Trump wants only to implement more thorough background checks.
The discussion continued for several more moments, each student displayed well-thought opinions and speculations about various issues.
Open carry law, heavy gun control, background checks, Fox News … the air was filled with energetic conversation as they moved toward their classrooms.
