The Only Emotion Stronger Than Love | Teen Ink

The Only Emotion Stronger Than Love

April 17, 2024
By oliviahillman BRONZE, Maple Grove, Minnesota
oliviahillman BRONZE, Maple Grove, Minnesota
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

The only emotion stronger than love is hate. The modern generation has proven this with their notoriously pessimistic perspective. Look at social media, for example. Sure, TikTok and Instagram are filled with memes, animals, and heartwarming videos, but the platforms are also plagued with derogatory comments and posts. There are entire trends dedicated to the downfall of various celebrities, brands, and groups. Furthermore, more young people continue to believe that humanity and the world are declining as time goes on. Who can blame them? Climate change, cancel culture, and political division are just a few of the contributions to this new wave of negativity. However, the new nation of pessimists and haters has inspired me to formulate a new political concept that better suits the modern era.  
Regarding the upcoming 2024 presidential election, I often see my peers (and myself) wondering: how are these the only two options? The general disdain for both candidates has forced citizens to either choose the lesser of two evils or not vote at all. The current election system simply asks Americans to choose who they love the most, but they are now asking a generation who hates everything. This is why I propose a new voting system, known as the disqualifying vote, catered to the modern strength and love of hatred. At the top of the election year before the primary vote, Americans will be asked the one person they do NOT want to see on the ballot. The top two names are eliminated from the election, forcing the voting pool to expand. This way, everyone loses, which is exactly what the modern nation loves to see.  
Now I know this idea may frighten some, especially the older generation and diehard Trump fanatics, but neither group must worry! Unfortunately, I am formulating this idea far too late for the 2024 election, and for the older folks, the next election is much too far away for your concern. And if anyone is concerned about election rigging, that threat will neither increase nor decrease due to my proposal.  
To those who may be concerned this is unconstitutional or discriminatory, I assure you this is completely legit. The decision is based on popular vote, which I would argue is the fairest way to make decisions, and those disqualified for the current year’s election become eligible again for the following term (unless they are voted out again). The ballot will also be short answer instead of multiple choice, so no one can be targeted or have their choice influenced. I did not forget the almighty electoral college either, who can remain at ease because they will make the final decision as usual.  
My proposal will also be a huge and humbling reality check for politicians, ensuring they continue to act on their best behavior. I am sure they will handle this system in a mature, dignified manner instead of attempting to slander and sabotage each other. With our politicians more united than ever, political division would finally decrease, and we can enter an era of unity as a country. 
Regarding the new generation of internet warriors, who may be offended I am referring to them as haters and pessimists, do not take this personally because I am one of you! I know how good it feels to find that one viral TikTok video of someone who finally understands why a certain celebrity, album, show, or movie just kind of sucks. Or even better, when that one unbearably popular creator or influencer is finally canceled for doing something awful (like saying a slur). Think of the disqualifying vote as a real-life report button that shadow-bans candidates for one election cycle. A perfect system of checks and balances.  
The disqualifying vote will finally allow my generation to be seen and heard. Not only will this encourage more young people to vote, but it is also more entertaining than the current system. Just like the reality television show Love Island, viewers can not only vote for the winners but also for who gets kicked off the island. The heightened suspense and drama add the perfect amount of stimulation and engagement for the shortened attention span of iPad kids, creating an entire generation of future voters as well.  
The disqualifying vote is the obvious choice for the perfect modern approach to the election system. I hope we can all unleash our inner hatred to better our country! 
 


The author's comments:

Self-Evaluation 
Writing this essay was a new challenge for me, but ended up being an enjoyable process, despite the difficulties. The most challenging part of this essay was incorporating a humorous tone into my writing. I have never had to write to be funny, so I had to figure out how to make my writing align with my natural humor. It was also challenging to formulate an unserious proposal for a real issue. I had to understand how to create a proposal that was substantive but satirical.  
Although this essay was a new challenge, it was quite rewarding and educational. I figured out how to incorporate my sense of humor into more formal writing through trial and error. I was also able to test my understanding of rhetorical concepts like satire and irony, which I have often found to be easily misunderstood. It was fun to read and revise my work because I was finally able to work on something that I would also enjoy reading outside of class. This was a nice departure from the typical informative and persuasive essays I have had to write for school.  
The model essay I found was helpful in constructing my essay. “Farewell the Three ‘R’s” by Martin Levinson had exemplary usage of humor and memorability, which I found were key factors in constructing an effective proposal. I tried to create an original alternative to a system that already existed just like he did. While Levinson created the three “R”s as a modern approach to education, I created the disqualifying vote as a new alternative to the election system. I also attempted to emulate the satirical humor found in Levinson’s essay by using irony, historical references, and rhetorical questions similarly.  
On the contrary, I diverged from Martin Levinson’s “Farewell the Three ‘R’s” to better fit my ideas. The disqualifying vote is fundamentally different from Levinson’s three “R”s, so I had to structure my proposal differently. The disqualifying vote can be explained in a couple of sentences and does not need several paragraphs of details or special vocabulary. Instead, I focused on addressing rebuttals with humor, which was much more effective in conveying my point and remaining engaging. Using a different essay structure than the model allowed me to employ the other strategies used to create a satirical tone and effective proposal.  
 


Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 0 comments.