Recorded from Salisbury, Maryland, 2021.
This snapshot was gathered in conjunction with the Maryland Voices initiative at Maryland Humanities, specifically to supplement the "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America" traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street program. This collection, made up of stories of first-time voters between the ages of 18 and 24, showcases the experiences of young people as they wrestled with the 2020 presidential election, issues around social justice, the environment, immigration, and the pandemic. The full collection of stories is available at www.museumonmainstreet.org.
Amir Gawish (00:00): My name is Amir Gawish. I'm 22-years-old. I go to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and I am a diehard Lakers fan.
Amir Gawish (00:08): I think at the end of the day, everyone needs to be adults about it and not bicker or immediately think the other side's out to get you or anything. And sit down and he can't convince the person, fine. But at least sit down and try to understand why that person leans or votes that way at a minimum.
Amir Gawish (00:31): When it stops being necessary they have to agree with the person, it's that you understand where they're coming from and why they think that. And I mean, even if you don't agree with it, you kind of have a better understanding of why they went that way. I think people are more willing to close people out because of political parties or affiliations and anything like that.
Amir Gawish (00:59): I've definitely seen things that make me cringe a little bit. But I mean, a lot of the time I just don't know how to respond, so I'll kind of cringe and then move on.
Asset ID: 2021.03.03.a
