Politics at the Pier: Issues vary

Chris Conville, an Irish citizen, felt as though the United States needs to address the problems surrounding immigration for the 2016 presidential election. Photo courtesy Jack Null.
Chris Conville, an Irish citizen, said the United States needs to address the problems surrounding immigration for the 2016 presidential election. Photo by Jack Null

SAN FRANCISCO — In a presidential election where both the Republican and Democratic parties have radically different plans on how to address the massive problems surrounding immigration, it comes as no surprise that many people feel strongly about this prevalent issue.

On Monday,The Teen Observer staff interviewed people at the popular tourist destination Pier 39 in San Francisco to ask young people their opinions on the most important issues surrounding the 2016 presidential election.

Many respondents talked about immigration.

Others, including Ellen Ward, a British tourist, said the  problems surrounding the United States’ prison system need to be addressed the most for the incoming president. As it currently stands, more than 2.3 million Americans are incarcerated in either local jails or federal and state prisons, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. These 2.3 million comprise 22 percent of the 10.2 million people incarcerated worldwide, according to The Washington Post.

Ward also brought up racial inequality as an additional issue, which many mentioned.