With only six months until the general election, who will face off in November is starting to become apparent. On the Republican side, it is set in stone. Donald Trump will be representing the GOP. Donald Trump will be representing a party that derives from a racist past; I wish I was shocked.
Anyhow, with not many primaries left, Bernie’s path to the nomination seems to be becoming more and more inconceivable. In other words, Hillary Clinton has somehow managed to convince people that she is not as horrible as she is, and gained the Democratic nomination. Basically, we’re screwed.
Unless we decide that we’re not.
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are both, indeed, horrible. They both have made comments to offend groups of marginalized people. They both at some point have promised to separate children from their families. And they both have a history of not doing what they say they are going to do. But with that being said, that does not change the fact that it is very likely that one of them will be in office. One of them will lead this country. Not only do we get to choose who that is, but we get to dictate how they do the job they are given.
The fact of the matter is, it will be a lot easier to urge and fight for policies that will help marginalized communities with a Democratic president. Even if Clinton is a liar and does not plan on doing what she has promised for the oppressed, we can force her to. Just like our votes have forced her to become the “major ally,” our voices can force her to live up to those promises.
On the contrary, Donald Trump cares nothing for the voices of the marginalized communities. He promised us nothing. He promised conservatives everything. Having him in office with the expectation to do even a fraction of the things he has promised right-wing voters would not only be terrifying, but it would be detrimental. It would set America back. The progress we have made in recent year would mean nothing because Donald Trump has promised to make America discriminatory again. We would virtually be living through the 1950's all over again. I don't know about everyone else, but that is enough to make me want to choose the lesser of the two evils.
I'm not going to condemn people for not voting. I get that it is hard for some to vote against their morals. But, abstaining from voting is a vote in itself. It says that you are so caught up in your beliefs that you do not care what that might mean for America. I hate Hillary Clinton. I hate her past, and I'm nervous for her future. But, she is the best that we will have.
Fight for change within the system so we don't have a rigged two party system, but don't forget that while you're fighting, that system is still in place. Take into consideration what a no vote means. The only way Trump wins in the general election is if every poll has somehow misinterpreted the number of people willing to vote for the lesser evil. I hope they haven't, but that's not a risk I'm willing to take. So, despite my distaste for her, Hillary Clinton has my vote.
