Holiday Politics
With December upon us, we know that Christmas is here. Thanksgiving is forgotten come Black Friday, the only remnants being days of leftovers as Christmas trees spring up in neighborhood windows and every radio station is flooded with holiday music. And though we are so quick to change gears, the one thing that may have left a sour taste for many from Thanksgiving was the inevitable talk of politics. We all try to avoid it, but somehow, someway, it always slips through the cracks; be it from your uncle you haven’t seen since last Thanksgiving, the TV that was “accidently” left on in the living room, or maybe just from the fourth bottle of wine being passed around the table, by the adults. Whatever the case, it’s hard to escape political talk while being thankful for the free world we live in to begin with; a phenomenon experienced not only at your Thanksgiving table, but at the tables of various MHS students and faculty too.
When interviewed, students Ben Klepper, Marisa Papa, and teacher Jeff Coviello unanimously reported that some form of politics were discussed with their families on the holiday. Perhaps the most notable of these being the discussion of the possibility of impeachment of incumbent President, Donald Trump. Accused by various whistleblowers of pressuring Ukraine to dig up dirt on Democratic challenger Joe Biden for the 2020 presidential race, as well as withholding $400 million of military aid to the Ukraine without said dirt, this is the main reason many people give to justify impeachable offenses.
Moreover, Marisa says her family discussed the issue of the gender pay gap, specifically in the realm of sports. While women do well in some sports, with nine of the top ten highest-paid women being tennis players in 2018, their pay suffers significantly when comparing most sports; take basketball, for example. In the same year, the highest paid NBA player received $37.4 million, compared to only $117,500 in the WNBA. And, while the majority of this pay gap comes from the vastly different amounts of revenue women leagues generate versus mens leagues, the overall question of what should be done about the pay gap across all occupations remains. A solution to this problem, however, was unfortunately not achieved at Marisa’s Thanksgiving discussion.
Lastly, teacher Jeff Coviello also reported talk of politics, particularly on the topic of businessman and former mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg entering the race for the 2020 Democratic candidate. Now, reportedly in the top five for the position, Bloomberg may be an appealing choice for some voters inclined to vote for a democrat to begin with, though he is up against some tough competition such as Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
Whatever the case, we can all take solace, any maybe even size down in pants again now that Thanksgiving is over and a few weeks behind us. But if you plan on celebrating Christmas with relatives as well, be prepared for the same outcome: politics.
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