Four years ago, Barack Obama was sworn into office a second time, being given the chance to continue implementing his legacy as the forty-fourth President of the United States of America. Over the course of his eight years of service to this country, he has faced wars, economic crises, religious and racial tensions and increasingly more common acts of domestic terrorism. Through his decisions he has gained many loyal supporters and has formed many harsh critics.

However, as of November 8, a new president will be elected to take up the responsibility and burden of carrying an entire nation towards success and prosperity. As the months pass, more and more candidates clash — we hear the sharp tongues within debate rooms, read the fiery Twitter wars and the news seems to love nothing more than to share the latest gossip following the election.

But often we Americans become so caught in the reality TV show of “The Presidential Election” that we forget the true severity of such an event. We are not voting for the funniest, the coolest or the most attractive candidate, but rather we are voting for the one that will hold America’s future, and all who live in it, in their hands.

Our country is on the brink of losing our title as “Land of the Free.” If someone does not bridge the chasms that have formed between races, religions and gender, how can we continue to boast our singularity of undeniable freedom to all? As voters we need to centralize our priorities. What are the biggest, most impactful conflicts which our country is facing? We need a candidate who is willing to fight for those causes and be an example of tolerance and equality for the rest of the nation.

This generation of young voters are apart of a new century – this is our chance to fix the consequences left by the last. It is absolutely vital to vote for the candidate most qualified to address the issues of our country, rather than the most popular in a party. Have an open mind. Weigh the pros and cons of each candidate, for there will never be the “perfect” president. Each will leave an imprint on America’s history, a legacy. But it’s up to us to decide what sort of legacy it will be.