So, Trump is the Republican nominee.
If you had told me that six months ago, I would have laughed in your face.
"That orange jackass? I have enough faith in the American people to know that will never happen. Not in my country."
And then it did. The Indiana Primary ended up being huge after all. After losing my home state, Ted Cruz and John Kasich have dropped out. Trump is the presumptive nominee.
I'm terrified.
Strangely, this whole situation has me feeling very, very bad for Republicans and more conservative Independents. As much as I loathe capitalism and conservatism, I also know that any sound governmental system needs representation of the people. In the face of a Trump nomination, Republicans have literally been burning their voter registration cards. While many Republicans are going outside party lines by endorsing Clinton, the very fact that this happened speaks to the tragedy facing political discourse in this country on the national level.
Right now, Trump vs. Clinton is the most likely possibility, only Hillary is being investigated by the FBI, and we probably won't know the outcome of that investigation until after the elections. She's also ridiculously pro-establishment. And Trump v Sanders, if it does happen (and I hope it does), will only go to show the polarization this country is experiencing. Polarized countries do not go well, and can only end in extremism.
When someone loses their voice in politics, it worries me.
One of the main political parties in this country has chosen a man who is a complete and utter bigot. That man, whether we like it or not, may just be our next leader. We have to do everything we can to stop that.
Moderates, independents, conservatives-- hear me out. Yes, I am essentially a Communist. No, I'm not a Christian. But you have all just lost your voice to a monster. That is heartbreaking for me to see. This is the breaking point of conservatism in America. I am afraid for how it plays out, as are most of you.
I know that many of you may not want to vote in November for this reason. It seems fatalistic on a lot of levels. To pick the lesser of two evils is always a sickening decision to make, but we have to. If Trump wins, political discourse is doomed and we are screwed. If a Democrat wins, conservatives and moderates can be given a chance to regroup and figure things out, as is desperately needed.
I hate to be cliche and say, "Your voice matters!" but it does. I am begging you, anyone who is scared and confused about this election -- do not stand by and do nothing. We cannot allow Trump anywhere near the oval office. The choice is clear: we have to stop this tyrant.
