Reflection Paper

Beginning with a contextualization of America surrounding the 2004 presidential election. This was the first election since the 9-11 attacks and the beginning of the war on terror. Many Americans uneasy, and the state of the nation was unstable. With this fear and instability,

When I first decided to expand my education, it had been so long since I had been to school, and I was very hesitant. I talked at length about my decision with my husband and with his encouragement, decided to enroll but still was not quite sure which degree program to enroll in. I knew that this was something that I had always wanted to do since I obtained my Associates Degree in Nursing, but I did not have the courage, nor did I want to give up the time with my family and children. I second guessed my abilities and my knowledge because it had been so long since I had been in college. Now that my children are about to graduate high school and

November 8th and 9th are considered two of the most important days that will determine where this country’s political future will head. Between midnight and the early hours of November 9th the final results had come in declaring that Donald Trump had won the presidency with 290 electoral votes to Clintons 232 electoral votes. This had sent a shock wave throughout the country some asking how something like this could happen and others celebrating the new president elect. There were many many factor that lead to the down fall of Hilary Clinton and the rise of our new president elect Donald Trump.

On September 6, 2017, I were documented for an incident that involved a University Housing policy violation. I was charged with violating the University Housing Alcohol 1.2 policy. With my violation, came consequences. I met with The Residence Conduct Coordinator to discuss my actions and came to the conclusion that I would have to schedule a meeting with The Campus Alcohol and Drug Education Center (CADEC) and with that, a reflection paper.

In the years leading up to the 2012 presidential elections, there seemed to be a lot of people that were moving away from their traditional party lines and changing sides. It would seem that Mitt Romney's career as a wealthy businessman would become harmful in the same ways that the "swift boat" attacks on Kerry were harmful in 2004. During John Kerry's running for the presidency in 2004, his Vietnam "record" came under scrutiny in so much as to discredit his wartime service. In 2012, the Obama campaign used the same type of strategy to show a disconnect between Romney and the American people. The number of eligible voters that actually voted dropped between the 2008 and 2012 elections by nearly 3.5%. Some believe this to be typical in a second term presidential election. ushistory.org states "Since many Americans are pleased with economic progress, they may feel reluctant to make a change, so they stay at home on Election Day". However, I do not believe that to be completely the

George W. Bush and Al Gore ran against each other in the presidential election of 2000, which will forever change history. One of the most important and influential presidential elections was the one in 2000. As known Bush wins the election but from the anticipation of the announcement from the Electoral College to the end of Bushes term will all forever affect America. The presidential election of 2000 was a significant part of this time period because it was a unique election, affected the American society greatly and the winning candidate will make decisions that change the United States forever.

This year’s election has reached new extremes that were never predicted to come about. We have two candidates that are both unfit to run America based on past occurrences and current ordeals. Along with this, there is bound to be arising conflict, yet who knew it would become as horrible as it is?

Since its inception, the United States has relied upon its people to make the decisions that would influence the course of the young nation’s political climate. One of the most influential of these decisions is the presidential election in which the people spend months deciding who should lead the country in a new direction. Each election brings about a new event subject to controversy, a different political revolution, and an electrifying candidate or two. This year will include one of the most world-altering presidential elections in the history of America, and the decision is between two tough candidates, each with his or her own baggage. In the past, America has seen some rough candidates but none

In the 2012 presidential election, 99% of citizens voted for either the Democrat or Republican candidate (“Election 2012”). Americans like to think they are different from everybody else, but this is not always the reality. So, Americans may be losing some of their individualistic thinking, bringing them closer to the minds of the citizens in the society of 1984.

In the 2000 United States Presidential election, the close pre-election polls showed the election could be won by either the Republican or the Democrat Party. Both Parties had two strong candidates, with a handful of other third party candidates, including Green Party and Reform Party representatives. As I watched the results of the 2000 presidential election, I felt bad for Vice President Albert Gore, Jr. The Presidency seemed to be well within Governor George W. Bush’s grasp. The television news networks were showing a big lead for Bush across the country. I turned the television off in my office, and I advised my Soldiers to get back to work. My Soldiers and I were stationed overseas in the Republic of Korea. We were thirteen hours ahead of the Eastern Time zone in the United States. We worked for the Commanding General for all United States Troops in Korea. The General often spoke about the election, but never let on which candidate got his vote. When I turned on the news at home that same evening, I was shocked to learn the presidency had not been decided. It seemed Gore rebounded across the country; however the total vote count in some states is too close to call. The 2000 Presidential election was important to me because the last time a Bush was in office, I found myself overseas as a part of a Multinational Coalition as the United States had declared war on the country of Iraq. In the year 2000, the peninsula of Korea had been in a delicate state with

Staying up until 2 a.m. on a school night is something I try to avoid, knowing that the person that I will see looking back at me in the mirror a few hours later when my alarm goes off will be a person that does not look prepared for the day ahead of them, but on November 9th, 2017 a new person stood before me. The night before was the 2016 Presidential Election and for someone always interested in politics, this was a major point of excitement in my life. I was, unlike the rest of my family and peers, a Donald Trump supporter and knew that the night was doomed to bring disappointment. I followed everything during the election cycle and was dedicated to grow my political interests and discover my views on those controversial issues always discussed in the news. The true point of my interest overall in this election was how the underdog defied the odds and won. I was and still am as shocked as the next person that Hillary Clinton lost the election and my interest in trying to learn why is something that I could ramble on about all day.

The 2016 Presidential Election has been one of the most bewildering experiences of my lifetime, but also, possibly the most telling event of where the average American voter’s values lie and the extent of our social progression. Personally, I, like many political scientists, educated scholars, politicians, celebrity figures, stand-up comics, preteens on twitter, optimists, and the entirely of the modern liberal media, truly believed Hillary Clinton would become our 45th, and 1st woman, president, but that did not seem to be the case. Donald J. Trump has won the 2016 Presidential Election, and I think i speak for all of us when I say: I am stoked. This shocking turn of events, which seems to defy political polls, statistical analysis, historical and governmental patterns, mathematics, and, frankly, common sense, has deemed my hypothesis to be incorrect, and like Hillary Clinton conceded the election, I concede my prediction, but as clearly demonstrated, not my opinion. I digress; the results of this election have reasoning behind them. Donald Trump won with 290 electoral votes in comparison with Hillary’s 232 votes, even thought Hillary won the popular vote (47.9% to 47.1%). 55.4% of eligible voters participated in this year’s election, with 26.5% of eligible voters siding with Hillary and 26.3% voting for Trump. The voter turnout this year has fallen in correspondence with the last two decades in regards to presidential election; a significant amount of Americans abstained

Friday evening, after I put my children to bed, I sat down and watched President Trump's Inauguration speech online through ABC News. Throughout his speech, I felt like he is continuing the path that he started, whether it ends up being amazingly good for our country or worse, has yet to be determined. I did not vote for President Trump, however, I did not vote for Hillary Clinton either. I did vote for Gary Johnson. I knew he wouldn't win, I was hoping he would reach that 5% of the popular vote, therefore, he would be able to get government funding during the next election. I felt neither of them was right for America. When President Trump won the election, so many of my friends were upset, while many were excited. I am nervous and not really looking forward to what his plans are.

Over the course of the semester, there has been numerous amount of areas where I believe I have improved in comparison to high school. What has helped me in my writing is the writing class and the in-class writing workshop. The writing class that is located in the Kremen education building has helped me with my writing greatly because in the writing center the person in charge teach us lenses and we apply those lenses to the writing, draft, or reading that someone brings in. The in-class writing workshop has helped me because other students get to read my writing. This is helpful because I get feedback from many students and they let me know what needs to be fixed. A new tool I have been using is They Say I Say. The book is very helpful because of the information and examples it provides such as the templates. I have been applying the templates into my essays and I have seen a significant difference.

Our civilizations relies upon people to develop morals and resilience through family, however, what happens when you grow up in an abusive family? Sure, you develop resilience quickly, unfortunately, you may build your moral foundation over a sinkhole. In addition to family dynamics, by age eleven, I survived being hung by a Mexican gang, three dog attacks and a house fire which left both legs covered in second degree burns. Fortunately, at age twelve, I ran away and a couple discovered me sleeping in their garage. Compassionately, they took me in and allowed me to live in a travel trailer on their property.