Growing up, children learn not to ask how much money people make. Whether you made the mistake of asking and were quickly corrected or were too nervous to ask, you learned that talking about how much money people do or do not make is very personal. The same goes for that old adage that says not to talk about religion or politics at dinner. All three of these topics have been warned off from society because they cause arguments and disagreements. These topics have turned from discussions to competition: whose religion is better, who makes more money, and then whose political party is the best.
Healthy competition is great and used to be encouraged. But slowly we have shifted to a society that is too afraid to talk about things we care about. Millennials as a generation have been bullied by older generations for not speaking with enough conviction, when we were raised by the very same people who told us to be mindful of other people's feelings, to the point of saying nothing at all.
Today, we live in the digital age where anyone and everyone can say whatever they want to online. Because of this, fewer and fewer people are sharing their opinions on politics, especially in this election, out of fear of harassment. Posts about unfriending or unfollowing people who support the opposing candidate litter news feeds and Facebook walls around the country. And while I appreciate their steadfast conviction for their presidential hopeful, I can't help but feel like something is lost. Too many of friends will post political things with the disclaimer "I am not endorsing this person, but..." or "This in no way declares who has my vote..." because we are afraid of what people will do or say about us.
This presidential election, in particular, has instigated the worst types of people on all sides. Supporting one candidate over the other does not make anyone less of a human being, and acting on thoughts that they do simply make you the lesser being. We have got to stop harassing people for, heaven forbid, thinking differently than you.
Personally, I do not support Donald Trump. Based on his policies, ideas, and professionalism, he simply is not the candidate for me. And no, I am not voting for Clinton simply because she is a lesser of two evils. I was originally a Bernie Sanders supporter but now have taken to the Clinton campaign. Her experience speaks for itself and I think she would make a wonderful president, and that is why I voted for her. I do not hate people who vote for Trump, but I will dislike people who berate me for my political decisions.
This election cycle, I limited my discussion of political views to conversations with people whose thoughts I knew aligned with mine. I did not share many articles or videos because I worried that people would think differently of me if I aligned myself with a certain candidate. As election day approaches, I am overtaken by an enormous feeling of "So what?" America's political system is all about being different, about being challenged. I, and others should be open to views that are different than ours, and be able to defend our thoughts and convictions, without fear of hurting someone's feelings.
This whole "my candidate is better than yours" shenanigans is what pushes more and more uninformed, jilted voters to the polls. It is what discourages young people from voting and getting into politics. It was what creates the stigma around politicians and their practices. Hating people for who they vote for is simply not worth it. Because guess what? They are still going to vote for them, and one of your candidates will become president, and you'll all have to deal with it.
I am deeply saddened that this craziness is what I am blessed with for my first time voting, but still felt a twinge of pride as I slipped my ballot into the ballot box. Regardless of political opinions, or opinions on this article, I hope everyone gets out and votes.
