When I turned 18 last year, I was beyond excited to vote in this year's election. The world was full of promises and hopes. I grew up listening to my dad rant about how messed up the government was, and even when we didn't agree with him, he taught us to make valid points and stick up for what we believe in. I am not one to post political things. I tend to just rant about them to my boyfriend and sisters. But I cannot just let this go by. I can see a post about Black Lives Matter vs. All Lives Matter and keep my opinion from popping up on my Facebook wall, but this topic is driving me crazy.
I have lived in Utah my whole life, meaning most of my Facebook friends are strong conservative Republicans. There is nothing wrong with that. I don't think that there is anything wrong with being a crazy left or right wing supporter, as long as you do so respectfully. This election has been anything but peaceful. People have thrown punches and spewed threats, among worse things, I'm sure. So here is where I will start my rant about Donald Trump. Politics aside. Don't get me wrong when I say that I hate Donald Trump, because I hate Hilary Clinton just as much. Both are terrible choices for our next president. I would hate to watch either be sworn in and be the new leader of our country. I would hate for either to choose several Supreme Court justices.
But the thing about Donald Trump is his party. Yes, that means the far-right Republicans. This is going to be very stereotypical—I am warning you now and this won't apply to every right wing supporter out there. But I cannot even tell you how many times I have seen on Facebook, TV, Twitter, or heard in person that people should vote for Trump just because he isn't Hillary. Many of these posts start out with "when Trump started running I thought it was a joke..." What? You are telling me you are going to vote for a man who you thought was running to write another book or get more followers on Twitter, just because he is the Republican nominee?
I was watching the Republican National Convention this past week, only to see Ted Cruz get ripped apart by people who may have once voted for him. Why? Well because he told people to get up and vote with conscience. People know that Cruz hates Trump, but why should he support someone he doesn't think will make a good president? Why should we settle for evil just because the other side is just as evil? I have seen scriptures quoted, numbers listed and facts thrown to the world to make sense of. What is so bad about voting for who the best choice is even if that means not voting for the party you usually stand with?
Now, if you honestly think Trump is the best choice, and you want him as your next president, then vote for him. But if you are saying that he is the best choice just because he isn't someone else, then you probably shouldn't even vote. And I hate saying that because I think anyone who is able to vote, should. But we should vote for who the best leader would be.
The best leader to me wouldn't be someone who says what the people want to hear, or who has never been punished the way other people have, or who tells people to punch one another when they don't agree. I mean, we tell kids from the time they can walk not to hit and not to fight, but to share and to be a good neighbor. What happened to that? Is it okay to do/not do those things once we are old enough to vote?
I don't want Donald Trump representing this country. I don't want him to be the next president just because people don't want to lose "all conservative" views in the Supreme Court. I don't want him to be the person other countries see that we look up to. I don't want a president who was voted in, just because of people who don't want to listen to other people.
As citizens of the United States, we should stand together. We should work together to find the best answers to our questions. We should love our neighbor, feed our hungry, bathe our dirty, support our troops, teach our children, clothe our naked, help our needy and learn from our friends.
The country is in need of help. Do your research, watch the National Conventions, and choose the best choice, not the "better" choice, which isn't Trump or Clinton.
Rant Over.
