Hello, everybody! As I finished up my shower earlier today, I was suddenly struck by a giant wave of thoughts, fears, and ideas about the upcoming general election. Most of us are very much aware of what's going on in the election cycle this year, unless you've been living in a cave without any access to Wifi, cell phone reception, or the presence of other non-cave people. To summarize what's happened over the past year for any cave people reading this (which, if there are...how? You're in a cave.), here are three main things you need to know:
Young people, like myself, were enthused in a way that rivals previous generations by this primary election season, and many of us now find ourselves in tough situations: who do we vote for in November, if we don't want to abstain from voting or vote third party? Hillary Clinton, or actual moldy carrot shaving Donald Trump? Now, let me make something clear: I do not have a problem with people who want to vote third party. That is your right as an American citizen, and honestly? More power to you for continuing to challenge the flawed two-party system that controls our democracy. I, however, will not be voting third party, nor will I be staying home (because why would I give up my right to vote when there are so many people around the world who would literally die to be able to have a say in their country's governmental processes?). I'm going to be voting for Hillary Clinton, and I respect anybody who disagrees with me, and I understand why you disagree with me too. This is just my opinion, and my choice, and I'm entitled to that. Agree to disagree, okay?
The people I have a problem with are the Bernie Sanders supporters who claim that they will vote for actual orange diarrhea stain Donald Trump before they'll vote for Hillary Clinton.
....what?
Say what you will about Hillary Clinton (no, seriously. Say it. Voice your opinions. I'm just a grad student with a blog, and we don't have to agree with each other), but she is no Donald Trump. If you honestly believe that Clinton would ban all Muslims from entering our country because of an extremist terrorist organization that MOST MUSLIMS ABHOR AND DENOUNCE, then you are regrettably misinformed. If you believe that Clinton would take away the rights of women and POC, in the ways that the crumbling Cheez It that is the Republican nominee would, then you are still regrettably misinformed. I understand that there is a sea of controversy surrounding Ms. Clinton, but she is NOT worse than Donald Trump. Vote for a third party candidate, write in someone's name, but god, good freaking god, do not vote for that mini-fingered Oompaloompa. I've heard people say that it doesn't matter if Trump wins, because a revolution would start the minute he took office, and you know what? That's probably true. But please think about this one little thing before you go spouting off about the violent revolution that will take place if/when the Great Pumpkin is elected President:
It's a really obvious sign of privilege if you say that you'd rather have Trump be president because it'd run the country into the ground and would force change, because there are countries all over the world who have been run into the ground by men and women like Trump, and I'm sure that the citizens of those countries who fought, who lost their rights, who saw their families torn apart, or their loved ones violently discriminated against...I'm sure that those people do not, and would not, share that same blasé attitude with you. And if Donald Trump is elected President, you can be damn sure that things will go up in flames, and those same people who so willingly welcome a violent revolt against an ugly orange highlighter of an demagogue will most likely not be so welcoming when they start to see the ramifications of their wishes.
Please remind yourself that you are automatically granted some form of privilege by living in the United States. Yes, some of us have more or less privilege than others, and the system is egregiously flawed and needs fixing, but that repair cannot and will not happen over night. The mere existence of a politician like Sen. Bernie Sanders and his amazing successes during the primaries is evidence enough that change is coming. Yes, he lost, but that is not a loss for those of us who were on his side if we continue to fight the good fight, and that fight will not be won if we do not stay politically aware and active. Just because someone like Sanders nearly won the nomination does not automatically mean that the two-party system will be abolished and we'll become a Democratic Socialist nation--there is still so much more work to do, and by abstaining from voting, or by voting for a racist Cheeto, you will be doing nothing in the name of progress. To fight the system, you have to understand the system; you have to work the system, you have to infiltrate it and dismantle it brick by brick. Continue to vote third party if you want, or don't! Vote for your state senators and representatives so there isn't a disgusting disparagement between the parties in Congress. Don't just sit back, ready to give up, because your candidate didn't get the nomination. Keep fighting, cave peo--oh right, I'm not talking to the cave people anymore. Sorry.
I don't know, guys...I'm just scared. I don't want to live in an America where a crybaby millionaire who's concern for the wellbeing of its citizens starts and stops with grossly wealthy men like himself. I don't want to live in an America where my LGBTQ, Muslim, Black, and/or Latin@ brothers and sisters will be discriminated against even more than they already are today. I don't want to live in an America where my rights to lay claim to my own body will be contested, and I don't want to live in an America where people, like me, from low-income households do not have access to free or affordable health care. That is the America we can all look forward to if actual melted orange Skittle Donald Trump is our next POTUS. Isn't that terrifying?
The system is broken, it's been broken for a very long time, but it's going to take all of our power to put it back together again. Keep on fighting and keep on believing. Change will come.
- Actual baked Cheeto Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee. It's terrible, and the optimists of the nation were crushed when they realized that, yes, there are a lot of people in this country who are hateful and ignorant, and now they're figuring out how to vote.
- Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is the presumptive Democratic nominee. After a year of campaigning and being challenged by the people's man, Bernie Sanders, Hill finally did it. Whether or not you agree with her policies, she made history this past week by becoming the first woman to presumably get the Democratic nomination (yes, I know that the delegates don't vote until July 25th. I KNOW.).
- Senator Bernie Sanders rocked the worlds of thousands upon thousands of young people entering the political climate of America for the first time. His democratic socialism challenged the status quo of the Democratic party, and many people (myself included) were furious as they watched the way the mainstream media ignored his victories and ever-growing following as the primary season progressed. Our boy Bernie is staying in the running until the convention, as he very well should, and hopefully, his progressiveness will further fuel the fire under Secretary Clinton's ass, hopefully garnering her some more support from Sanders fans as the general election gets closer.
Young people, like myself, were enthused in a way that rivals previous generations by this primary election season, and many of us now find ourselves in tough situations: who do we vote for in November, if we don't want to abstain from voting or vote third party? Hillary Clinton, or actual moldy carrot shaving Donald Trump? Now, let me make something clear: I do not have a problem with people who want to vote third party. That is your right as an American citizen, and honestly? More power to you for continuing to challenge the flawed two-party system that controls our democracy. I, however, will not be voting third party, nor will I be staying home (because why would I give up my right to vote when there are so many people around the world who would literally die to be able to have a say in their country's governmental processes?). I'm going to be voting for Hillary Clinton, and I respect anybody who disagrees with me, and I understand why you disagree with me too. This is just my opinion, and my choice, and I'm entitled to that. Agree to disagree, okay?
The people I have a problem with are the Bernie Sanders supporters who claim that they will vote for actual orange diarrhea stain Donald Trump before they'll vote for Hillary Clinton.
....what?
Say what you will about Hillary Clinton (no, seriously. Say it. Voice your opinions. I'm just a grad student with a blog, and we don't have to agree with each other), but she is no Donald Trump. If you honestly believe that Clinton would ban all Muslims from entering our country because of an extremist terrorist organization that MOST MUSLIMS ABHOR AND DENOUNCE, then you are regrettably misinformed. If you believe that Clinton would take away the rights of women and POC, in the ways that the crumbling Cheez It that is the Republican nominee would, then you are still regrettably misinformed. I understand that there is a sea of controversy surrounding Ms. Clinton, but she is NOT worse than Donald Trump. Vote for a third party candidate, write in someone's name, but god, good freaking god, do not vote for that mini-fingered Oompaloompa. I've heard people say that it doesn't matter if Trump wins, because a revolution would start the minute he took office, and you know what? That's probably true. But please think about this one little thing before you go spouting off about the violent revolution that will take place if/when the Great Pumpkin is elected President:
It's a really obvious sign of privilege if you say that you'd rather have Trump be president because it'd run the country into the ground and would force change, because there are countries all over the world who have been run into the ground by men and women like Trump, and I'm sure that the citizens of those countries who fought, who lost their rights, who saw their families torn apart, or their loved ones violently discriminated against...I'm sure that those people do not, and would not, share that same blasé attitude with you. And if Donald Trump is elected President, you can be damn sure that things will go up in flames, and those same people who so willingly welcome a violent revolt against an ugly orange highlighter of an demagogue will most likely not be so welcoming when they start to see the ramifications of their wishes.
Please remind yourself that you are automatically granted some form of privilege by living in the United States. Yes, some of us have more or less privilege than others, and the system is egregiously flawed and needs fixing, but that repair cannot and will not happen over night. The mere existence of a politician like Sen. Bernie Sanders and his amazing successes during the primaries is evidence enough that change is coming. Yes, he lost, but that is not a loss for those of us who were on his side if we continue to fight the good fight, and that fight will not be won if we do not stay politically aware and active. Just because someone like Sanders nearly won the nomination does not automatically mean that the two-party system will be abolished and we'll become a Democratic Socialist nation--there is still so much more work to do, and by abstaining from voting, or by voting for a racist Cheeto, you will be doing nothing in the name of progress. To fight the system, you have to understand the system; you have to work the system, you have to infiltrate it and dismantle it brick by brick. Continue to vote third party if you want, or don't! Vote for your state senators and representatives so there isn't a disgusting disparagement between the parties in Congress. Don't just sit back, ready to give up, because your candidate didn't get the nomination. Keep fighting, cave peo--oh right, I'm not talking to the cave people anymore. Sorry.
I don't know, guys...I'm just scared. I don't want to live in an America where a crybaby millionaire who's concern for the wellbeing of its citizens starts and stops with grossly wealthy men like himself. I don't want to live in an America where my LGBTQ, Muslim, Black, and/or Latin@ brothers and sisters will be discriminated against even more than they already are today. I don't want to live in an America where my rights to lay claim to my own body will be contested, and I don't want to live in an America where people, like me, from low-income households do not have access to free or affordable health care. That is the America we can all look forward to if actual melted orange Skittle Donald Trump is our next POTUS. Isn't that terrifying?
The system is broken, it's been broken for a very long time, but it's going to take all of our power to put it back together again. Keep on fighting and keep on believing. Change will come.