‘I wish we could live in a country where politics doesn’t have to be a war.’

Christopher Burczyk recently moved to Milwaukee from Madison, Wisconsin to study Biomedical Electronics Technology. He likes the more technical hands-on approach. Burczyk shared his thoughts on the upcoming election and current political climate.

Damian Gonzalez: Who do you plan to vote for, and did you originally vote for them in the primary?

Christopher Burczyk: David Crowley and I did not. I voted for Francesca Hong the first time around.

Damian Gonzalez: How did you feel when Francesca Hong did not get elected?

Christopher Burczyk: I didn’t feel too bad to be honest. It seemed like in the few weeks that were coming up to that election she kind of dropped the ball and got involved with some things. I think that David Crowley is definitely a strong contender for governor. I would’ve preferred Hong, but generally I’m fine with Democrats. Now that’s not saying that I’ll always vote blue, but I will say it just feels like at this point you’re either voting for blue or you’re voting for Trump, and I don’t like voting for Trump.

Damian Gonzalez: Why do you think it’s a personal duty to vote?

Christopher Burczyk: I think that if you want to live in a society and you think that there are things that are right and wrong, you should have to vote. It’s okay not to vote, but I think that you should.

Damian Gonzalez: How are you currently feeling about what’s going on in the world, specifically in Wisconsin?

Christopher Burczyk: I feel like I see a lot of political propaganda. I see so many political ads that are AI and it’s just one candidate berating the other candidate. I’m just sick of seeing that. I wish we could live in a country where politics doesn’t have to be a war. It can be like both sides are working towards the best for America. Not trying to shut down systems that Democrats put in just because it’s Democrats or stop Republicans from doing certain things just because they’re Republicans. I think it’s more complex than that. The current form of political ads is just saying that, “David Crowley is a failed executive,” or “Tom Tiffany is evil,” and I don’t think that’s right.

Damian Gonzalez: Could you elaborate more on those AI ads you keep seeing?

Christopher Burczyk: It doesn’t feel like it’s right for the things it’s used for. AI takes up a lot of money, and it objectively worsens the quality for people who live around data centers. I think that using AI in political ads is just wrong because of how it affects people.

Damian Gonzalez: Do you care more about political issues or party loyalty?

Christopher Burczyk: I definitely care about the issues more. I think that only voting for the same party no matter who almost feels like that’s gravitating towards authoritarianism.

Damian Gonzalez: How do you think politics should be like?

Christopher Burczyk: I think they should be a lot more respectful. You could look at interviews of previous governors of Wisconsin and it’s like night and day. It’s not this berating of the other candidate. I think it should be more civil.

Damian Gonzalez: Being from Wisconsin, how have past Governors affected you?

Christopher Burczyk: I feel like I’m in a pretty privileged position where I don’t have to worry too much. I’m a cis white man. It doesn’t get more privileged than that, but I do think it’s important still to understand the issues.