What's worse than Mike Pence being my governor?
Mike Pence being my vice president.
At least, with Pence being my governor, I knew that I could only be ashamed of the decisions he makes that only my state can see. He would pass a law that would make me cringe, but move on. However, now that he's going to be my vice president, the whole world now sees what kind of hateful imbecile I've had to deal with ruling my state.
I feel nothing but embarrassment whenever the entire state of Indiana finally is receiving attention, but it's all because of Mike Pence and his extreme, foot-washing Baptist views. I only felt shame, knowing that the rest of the world views Indiana as a Pence-land, and that everyone here shares the same twisted mentalities.
I can assure you, not everyone feels the same way here. At least, most of the people my age don't.
You see, when I found out that Donald Trump chose Mike Pence as his running-mate, it was then when I started to feel fear. I knew that if Trump got into office, he would have no idea what he's doing and would just fake it until he made it.
However, since he chose Pence, this made something very clear to me: our president wasn't going to be our president.
Trump wouldn't know what to do in office, this is obvious, so if it came down to it he would turn to his vice president to ask for what to do. Now you're starting to see why I was afraid.
I'm not scared of Trump's presidency, because simply, he's an idiot. However, the fact that Mike Pence is going to be the vice president, that meant he would be telling Donald what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and he would blindly do as he's told.
Trump can't make a choice on an LGBTQIA+ progressive law? Pence would tell him exactly what to do - something, anything, against it.
Trump stumped on a bill to push for equal rights for women? Pence would tell him to veto it, pushing us back even further.
Trump isn't going to be the one making the decisions. No, it's going to be Mike Pence. Pence and his decisions are most likely going to be so shameful, so inhumane and just downright embarrassing on America as a country.
President Pence.
As a Hoosier, nothing makes me feel more ashamed of my place of residence than having Mike Pence as our leader. Nothing gives me more embarrassment and distaste against my own country.
I am a patriot - I'm not going to lie, that's not how I always used to be. I used to shudder at the very mention of my country, feeling disgusted by how our government and society is being run. However, during my sophomore year of high school, I realized that while my country may be far from perfect, it could be much worse. I learned to accept my country, despite its millions of flaws. I stopped feeling repulsion whenever I would say I'm an American, because simply, I am. Like it or not, I was born and raised here.
However, I have a strong feeling that under the Trump Administration - sorry, I mean the Pence Administration - all that time I spent learning to like my country would be for nothing.
The shame would return, the disgust and the anguish would follow close behind. Everything I dreaded would be coming to life.
I won't be a Hoosier anymore.
I won't be an American anymore.
