What is in the power of a name? To me, a name is a title that identifies what you are called. What happens when your name gets slandered? How does that affect the power of what you say? This election season has gotten me thinking a lot about the power of a name. We have two primary candidates, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, and both of their names have been in the media for years. Trump is the ultimate businessman who has made his way into the spotlight not only because of his successful business endeavors, but also his TV appearances, connections and persona. Hillary Clinton has been a successful lawyer, senator, First Lady of the wonderful United States, Secretary of State and public figure for decades. Since both of the candidates have been famous for a while, people have had opinions about them before they were officially 2016 Presidential Candidates.

I decided to do a little experiment this week that would support my theory that a name and the association we have with a name can dramatically affect our conceptions and opinions. I posted the quote, "You have to keep working to make things better, even when the odds are long and the opposition is fierce... That's why we're here, not just in this hall, but on this Earth” as my Facebook status for a couple of days. I did not put who the quote was by, I simply let it stand alone and see how many people liked it. Not surprisingly, the status was pretty popular and received a good handful of likes and even a couple of loves. I mean, it’s a great quote so I can understand why. Hillary Clinton was the person who said this wonderful quote. I was pleasantly surprised to see that a lot of the people that liked my status were avid Trump supporters. Yes, the devil to some people, the one that “should go to prison” said something that was not derogatory or incriminating. The same outcome would have occurred if I had put a Trump quote as my status and not stated who it was from. A lot of my Facebook friends who are supporters of Hillary would have liked it depending on the content.

Now, I’m not saying to vote for one person or the other in this article. The point I am making is that names and the associations we have with names are keeping us from realizing what the candidates are saying. To say I have not been guilty of this would be a lie. I follow both candidates on multiple social media platforms and honestly when I see their names pop up on my feeds, I have a tendency to scroll right past their posts because I have my preconceived notions. I realized this last week, that I needed to get rid of those notions and actually pay attention to what the candidates were saying and make my choice on who to vote for based on how well their values and beliefs align with mine. I should not let people who are saying “Hillary for Prison” or “Trump will ruin us” influence my opinions and my choices. Their names should not deter me from making an unbiased decision and my opinions in the past should not affect my decision now because times are different and our country and world needs different leaders and idealists who will do what’s right for all.

I urge American citizens who are voting in this upcoming election (which everyone who is above 18 should, that’s a right that not all people have) to really pay attention to what the candidates are saying and make your decisions wisely. Look past the slander and cruelty and vote for who you agree with policy-wise. Don’t let the power of a name influence your decisions. Think objectively rather than subjectively and VOTE.