300,000 Years of Humans: Why Have We Traded Community for Individualism and Political Polarization?
Explore the shift toward Democratic Socialism in the Tri-State area as Zohran Mamdani takes NYC and Mikie Sherrill wins NJ. From the hypocrisy of "holy book" oaths to affordability.
Modern humans have existed for 300,000 years, or since we consider humans. In Earth’s timeline, this is a small amount, yet we have evolved into creators of destruction and hatred. All over the world, wars have claimed the lives of millions of people. Famine has happened multiple times over, and while we can observe colonies of cats taking care of each other, why do humans become so individualistic? In discussions with people, it seems many have given up hope of a sense of community. Many can blame social media for the distance it has created, rather than bringing us together, but others can attribute individualism to capitalism. As many of you know, I am a democratic socialist. With the election and a new era for New York City, with the swearing in of Zohran Mamdani, we can only hope he keeps his promises of a better tomorrow. During his inauguration, I watched from my bed, talking to my boyfriend, and got teary-eyed a few times because, while Obama was by no means a perfect president, he promised unity and leadership through differences for all people. The right has been obsessing over Zohran taking his oath over a Quran. Still, the hypocrisy runs true that there is no law saying what someone has to swear in over, and in 2019, Kelli Dunaway took her oath over the famous Seuss book “Oh the Places You’ll Go.” so what is this obsession with what “holy book” is required for a politician to swear in and take their oath when during the second Trump presidency Trump would not even place his hand on a bible. What does this say for the right where “god” comes first in the country when we have separation of church and state? How do we stray so far from our values of freedom, but have social norms for how politicians should swear in when they earned the right to swear in, they put up long campaigns. They worked hard to get to the spot they rightfully deserve, except in the case of the 2016 election, when Doze Off Donny lost the popular vote.
Whether you are on the right or left, where do you stand on humanity? Should freedom of religion exist, or do you require everyone to be a white Christian nationalist? There is no doubt that Zohran has made a lot of significant promises, but with the hopes he delivers, we can be sure one thing will happen: New Yorkers’ lives will improve. New York wanted Zohran, as millions showed up in record numbers. Zohran received a total of votes, the number of voters who showed up in the 2021 general election. With this taken into account, it is evident that change is warranted and desired by voters who are sick and tired of a status quo system catering to the rich and powerful. Our land belongs to everyone and shouldn’t be ruled by the billionaire class, who exploit labor and kill the natural resources of the planet we inhabit. Zohran echoes a new wave of transparency and better outcomes, promising that one day, a blueprint can be made for how a Democratic Socialist can win in political arenas.
Some of the promises of the Zohran admin include: Fast, free buses; universal, no-cost childcare; new affordable housing; raising the minimum wage; opening city-owned grocery stores; creating a department of community safety; and expanding healthcare access. These are huge promises, but they can be done. With the promise of 200,000 new affordable housing units this can help curb the houseless epidemic not only affecting New York City but with this targeting approach the 130,000 nightly residents of shelters may see some respite with not only the expansion of affordable housing units but the relief police may not respond to mental health crisis’s those not housed face with the creation of the codepartment of community safety. Many New Yorkers rely on public transportation to get to and from work, as well as for other aspects of living, like caring for family or attending religious services. The expansion of the MTA and the introduction of free buses will reduce the burden on the subway system and promise a better future, allowing many to get to and from where they need to go safely. Raising the minimum wage in the already tight budgetary mindset millions of New Yorkers already face will help alleviate the burden of everyday living and create pathways to possible future home ownership.
These promises may seem daunting, and conservatives have lost their mind over them, but where is the humanity in improving the lives of one fellow neighbor? You can probably remember that during the Biden administration, many became irate at the thought of student loan forgiveness, even though they had paid their loans. I will say it once again: just because you had it rough does not make it okay to wish it on your fellow neighbor.
This election cycle, the Democratic Socialists of America won sweeping victories, and right across the Hudson, Jake Ephros and Joel Brooks won their bid for city council.
The new mayor of Jersey City, James Solomon, is another progressive with promises to bring change to a system of old-money rule not just in New York but in New Jersey as well. By population, Jersey City is the second-largest city in New Jersey. Mikie Sherrill was elected in a landslide victory against Jack Cittarelli. The tristate area has spoken, and we are tired of the system that has existed.
While it may be a benefit to New Jersey for the Sherrill victory, time will tell whether Jersey walks away better or worse. A significant critique of Mikie Sherrill is the existence of PAC money in her last election. Sherrill raised $873,577, which accounted for 19.85% of her political contributions. Many on the left have shared where Sherrill was during the genocide, which is ongoing in Palestine.
While Sherrill has put out multiple statements aiming at awareness of the ongoing GENOCIDE, what is actually to be done when New Jersey has adopted a definition of antisemitism that affects Jews in negative ways and poses an even greater risk to combating antisemitism? What can a government really do, you ask? Well, Sherrill can end partnerships with the Israeli government and companies. Here are a few that should end immediately:
New Jersey-Israel Commission: This state body promotes economic, scientific, and cultural ties, facilitating partnerships with the BIRD Foundation funding U.S.-Israeli tech collaborations, including a $550k grant for Pentera Security (Israel) and South Jersey Transportation on airport cybersecurity.
Choose New Jersey Israel Center: Opened in Tel Aviv, this center helps Israeli businesses expand into the U.S. market via New Jersey, viewing the state as a launchpad for Israeli companies.
MOU with Israel Innovation Authority (2018): The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) signed an MOU to strengthen economic ties and foster innovation between the two regions.
Investment & Trade: There’s significant bilateral trade, with Israeli companies like Teva Pharmaceuticals moving North American HQs to NJ, and the state’s pension fund law prohibits boycotting Israeli businesses, promoting engagement.
With all of this said, what will happen? Sherrill will most likely govern at the whim of significant money. Some of the promises of Sherrill include affordability, freezing / lowering utility costs, reducing healthcare costs, protecting reproductive rights, cracking down on crime, and “Getting education back on track. Sherrill promises to target affordability by lowering housing costs, which are the primary contributor to affordability in New Jersey. Reducing healthcare costs may be Sherrill’s most significant challenge, as she has promised to go after pharmacy benefit managers. For those who do not know what a PBM is, they are entities that manage prescription drug benefits as third-party administrators for insurers. They suck… they suck because they gut small mom-and-pop pharmacies and lack transparency. When a PBM receives a rebate, it pockets it rather than passing it on to patients, and these groups are highly anti-competitive. Sherrill voted while in Congress to cap insulin costs for seniors and set a maximum out-of-pocket of $2,000 a year for prescriptions. Even $2,000 is too high, and no one can afford it when most seniors are on social security and already struggling to make ends meet. Utility costs in New Jersey have risen 50% between 2020 and 2025, and in 2025, utilities like NJNG and JCPL had average hikes of 17%-20%. This is not sustainable for the average New Jerseyan, given the median income of $99,781 in 2023. Will Sherrill deliver on her promises, or will the state senate stall her? The chance of that happening is slim, with only 35% of the state senate identifying as republican. Sherrill still has a long road ahead of her to deliver on these promises and bring a better tomorrow for Jersey.
Polarization is happening every day across the United States, and our president is no longer innocent with the rhetoric. When Charlie Kirk was shot and killed by a shooter, it was quickly reported that the shooter was transgender, when in fact it was one of his own: a white republican man, the irony. Charlie Kirk famously touted for the Second Amendment and stated, “A few gun deaths a year are needed to protect the Second Amendment. The aftermath of Charlie’s death can be felt in every corner of the country. Many conservatives are blaming the left, and while conservatives are saying the left is celebrating, what can you expect when a man has been sexist, racist, xenophobic, and queerphobic? Charlie Kirk’s viewpoints posed a risk to millions of Americans and opened up space for attacks on marginalized communities. If you taunt someone enough, they will celebrate when you become a non-issue. While any violence is negative and should never occur, Charlie created the circumstances that allowed his death to occur. Turning Point USA came to my county, and I detested the allowance of such an event, but a protest did happen, and the event was allowed to continue. Charlie was a podcaster, and many on the right called for a holiday to be named for him. The right did not detest gun violence when Melissa Hortman, a democratic legislator, was killed alongside her husband with their dog by a conservative man, and the outcry for them did not exist from the right to end violence and detest political violence. It is always ironic with the right.
What can be said is things need to change. We cannot go on like this as a country with all of the major political happenings the past few months in the United states. When will we care about our neighbor?