I am by no means a Clinton supporter. I am not unaware of the atrocities and violence she has had a hand in, nor of her familiarity with big bank executive officers. During the Democratic primaries, I was a Bernie Sanders supporters, as many millennials were. A largely unwavering 40-year long political record and a sincere passion for equality turned many youthful voters towards the aging politician. Despite my strong distaste for Ms. Clinton, and my deep appreciation for the candidacy of Senator Sanders, I will be voting come this November, and my vote will be cast for Hillary.
Many articles have been written with a similar message to this one: why I will be voting for Hillary, and why I hope it convinces you to do the same. However, for the most part, these op-eds are generally penned by demographics distant from those who do not intend to vote for Hillary this coming election. As a Latino millennial, my intent is to bring a more relatable perspective to my peers who may have the opportunity to decide the 2016 presidential election. Through this piece, I will be sharing my own particular reasons for voting, whilst simultaneously hoping to convince a few millennials as to how they can sway this upcoming election, particularly Latino millennials.
While abstaining from voting this November may seem like a noble cause, in the broader picture, it is actually quite the opposite. Had the Republican nominee been a more respectable and moderate candidate, the refusal to vote may have been more justifiable. However when a fear-mongering bigot such as Donald Trump is the candidate, there is little choice but to vote. The most popular argument in defense of abstaining is refusing to choose between the lesser of two evils. While I can empathize with this ideology, in practice it is detrimental. As witnessed by the Brexit decision, a lack of vote or denial of the popularity of bigotry and hate can lead to quite stunning results. Yes, moderate liberals and establishment Democrats are certainly supporters of capitalism, create havoc abroad, and typically support people of color only to their own benefit. But to forego a vote this November would be to take a step back in civil rights here in the United States.
We justifiably criticize President Obama for deporting more individuals than the past 19 presidents combined. Obama did that without deportation being a part of his platform; Donald Trump has made deportation and border security a significant portion of his candidacy's agenda. If Trump was elected and successful in his aim, he will deport ten times the number of people than Obama. This is not to justify Obama's actions in deporting 2.5 million people, but to put into perspective the danger of a Trump presidency for the undocumented population that is already here. When considering that individuals will still flow into the country and be labeled undocumented no matter the reason, who knows how high deportation numbers will skyrocket?
Like Obama, we can for good reason condemn Hillary Clinton for her actions regarding Syria and the greater Middle East. Prolonging a ceasefire in Syria, laying out a hawkish plan for intervention in Middle Eastern conflicts, and blaming solely Palestinians for troubles there, her foreign policy is disturbing for progressives, to say the least. If a candidate who prides herself on diplomacy and peace can deal so much damage to communities abroad, what will a staunch anti-Muslim be able to do? Donald Trump has advocated for a Muslim database, presumably to "aid" in the fight against "Islamic" terrorism. In addition, Trump has also said he would ban Muslims from entering the country. Though it would not apply to those who already reside in the United States, his words for that demographic are that we "must be vigilant". And that is only regarding domestic policy. Abroad, Trump has not only advocated for the reckless bombing of ISIS terrorists but also proposed to hunt and kill family members of ISIS-affiliates as they "know what is going on" with their relatives.
As a person of color who has the privilege of attending a prestigious liberal arts college with brilliant students of color and millennials in general, I have heard many of the arguments for why many of them are abstaining this coming November. Hillary's past stance on issues, the corruptness of the political system, and refusing to partake in establishment politics are certainly all viable arguments. However, Hillary's past pales in comparison to future of a Trump presidency. While his policies may be improbable, they set a dangerous precedent for the acceptance of explicit racism in this country, which we have already begun to revisit. While I certainly acknowledge the broken political system and its limitations, that system will not be changed by refusing to vote. That system can change over time, but not in the next four months. That does not mean I am not willing to take on that fight, but for now, the focus, unfortunately, has to be on battling back the encroaching bigotry that threatens to return us to times when the United States was great, for white cisgender males. The refusal to vote for a Clinton-Kaine ticket is complicity in the then inevitable return to a period that our elders fought so courageously to escape.
As millennials, we are not expected to vote. However, we now outnumber baby boomers and are the most populous generation in the United States. If there was ever a time for real change, it is now, with us. While that battle may start on our heels, having to warily vote for a candidate we openly dislike, it is only the start of a new period. I will not use my disappointment in Hillary as an excuse to not vote this fall. Instead, I hope that many millennials will join me in signalling we are bringing change by voting and becoming the first generation of the youth to take it upon ourselves to correct the flaws of this nation, and not leave it in the hands of the old, greedy, ignorant elite that have held power in the past.
