“Do you want to go campaigning on Satur-”, “yes” I responded faster than my friend could even finish her sentence. It was one week before the 2024 election, and I was feeling motivated to take action more than ever before. The future of our country was in our hands, and I was yearning to make a difference.
On Saturday, November 2nd, my friend, her mom, her sister, and I woke up at 6:30am to make it to our 9am campaigning shift. We drove two hours to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, an essential part of the swing state that would have a major impact on the upcoming election. As we drove we passed countless Trump flags and Harris signs showing us the true diversity in political beliefs that were present in PA.
When we finally arrived in Gettysburg we parked the car and entered a brick building covered in Harris-Walz signs. We checked in, got Harris pins, and sat through a 20-minute crash course on how to campaign successfully and how to use the app to track the houses we campaigned at. The majority of volunteers surrounding us were between the ages of 40-80, so they were all shocked when an 18, 17, and 15 year old walked through the door.
They handed us stacks of flyers and door hangers, gave us a map, and sent us on our way. We had been told that the neighborhood they were sending us to was very safe, friendly, and was already marked as Harris supporter houses, but let’s just say that was certainly not the case.
We drove 20 minutes outside of Gettysburg into the countryside. We were surrounded by cows, goats, wheat fields, and many, MANY Trump signs. I felt a pit begin to grow in my stomach as I realized that I had to knock on strangers’ doors, and openly advertise my political beliefs, something so taboo in today’s day and age. At our first house, a middle-aged man skeptically opened the door, and stepped onto the front porch. We asked our main questions “Do you have a voting plan? Do you know which candidate you’re voting for?” He responded very respectfully, and told us he’s not voting for “us,” but is proud of what we’re doing, even though he doesn’t have the same political beliefs as us. He said we should keep up the good work and asked us nice questions like “where are you from?” This interaction left me hopeful and happy. I was aware that not everyone will have the same political views, and that’s okay. I wasn’t there to change anyone’s opinion, and the polite response I got from this man made me sure of that.
A few houses later, we had a not-so-pleasant interaction with a woman. My friend’s sister and I went up to a white house and knocked on the door. We were holding our Harris pamphlets and had Harris-Walz hats on. A woman cracked open the door, took one look at us, and began to scream. She yelled “Get off my property, now!” I was stunned, but quickly responded with “okay, okay” and began walking down her steps. She yelled after us “faster, faster, RUN.” She continued to yell after us telling us to not visit any of her neighbors and that they would take their anger further. We broke into a sprint, and bolted to the car as fast as possible. This interaction left me angry and upset. She could have politely said she wasn’t interested, or simply not answered the door, but instead she chose hate.
All the other interactions we had were pleasant and nice. The people were kind, and even though they didn’t all agree with us, they were respectful. After campaigning I was feeling hopeful, and I honestly hadn’t let myself consider the possibility that Donald Trump could be put in office again.
Unfortunately, on November 5th, all my hope began to fade as I realized our reality of the election that night. That night and the next morning I was so sad. The best way I can describe my emotions on November 6th is just heartbreak. I know that I eventually need to accept and come to terms with the fact that Trump (who has 34 felony counts, 1 conviction, 2 cases pending, 2 impeachments, and 6 bankruptcies) gets 4 more years in the oval office. What I can’t accept, though, is that our society and nation continue to dismiss and disrespect women, specifically women of color. I can’t accept that our country has disregarded the need for reproductive healthcare, equality, and basic human rights. Instead I will accept hope. I will accept the fight to include all people in the same American dream that this nation was built on. As our community and country continues to heal from the 2024 election, let us remember hope and determination, and that the fight is nowhere close to over.
