History Has its Eyes on You

Written by Marissa BeatyPhotography by Noah Laroia-NgyyenIt has been three years since the Hamilton musical became a phenomena, but the man whose life and words were relayed through this artistic masterpiece have been insurmountably influential since their origination. It is these words, both in actuality and in their reproduction, that are ever more important as our country comes upon the midterm elections.  Though we in Madison live in a very politically charged city, it is easy to diminish the importance of participating in our country’s elections, especially for us, students, when we have exams and quizzes and readings and five classes to balance. With everything going on, it is easy to put aside voting in light of other obligations, but to not vote is to disregard the very system that men like Alexander Hamilton spent their lives fighting for, and as we see in Hamilton, the musical, to vote without proper knowledge of who you’re voting for is equally as detrimental.  Regardless of who you vote for, you should pick a person who shares the beliefs and ideals that you share or that you want to see in the world, because who you vote for, is who you are promoting, who you are giving your voice to-- make sure they are worthy of it.   If you need more reminding, I turn you to The Election of 1800, which details the presidential race against Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson, and how influential just one voice can be. This is a moment in which everyone believes Burr will win, as he is the most liked, but which details that beyond being liked, Burr never took a stand. In fact, when the election comes to a tie, and Hamilton must be the deciding vote, his reasoning for choosing Jefferson is that “Jefferson has beliefs. Burr has none.”  Even 200 years later, this is something we should still be thinking about when choosing our elected officials. We should not base our sole decision on likability, because, truly, what politician isn’t trying to be well liked? We need to go beyond this and look at what they actually stand for and what actions they have taken to display and defend them. If there is one man that is a perfect example in displaying his opinions - even though they can be quite obtrusive - it is Alexander Hamilton.  For example, in Cabinet Battle #1, Hamilton is attempting to pass his financial plan, despite strong disapproval of it, particularly from Thomas Jefferson and other representatives of the South. In response, Hamilton (very forcefully) defends his plan, arguing that it is the next step to  “running real nation.” Being this aggressive, or stubborn, is not the best trait, yet it displays a clear expression and willingness to defend what he believes is right for the people, which is what a person in power should do.  Hamilton, regardless of who stood against him, never failed to do what he believed was necessary to benefit the people. It is this determination that got him to America, that gave us the financial system we still use today, and that has given him a legacy as an American hero. What we can take from Hamilton, besides a fantastic musical, is that each and every one of us has the ability to affect change and to cause a stir in the system, just as he did. We just have to be willing to. So as tomorrow comes, I hope you remember your power, because history truly has its eyes on you.