Freedom. Justice. Human dignity. These are vital tenets of American ideals, ideals upon which our entire country is based upon. Ideals that, I believe, every Republican, Democrat, Independent or in-between can, and do, believe in. In theory, that is, because based on the platform and recent news of one of our presidential candidates, it seems that Americans have very different notions about what these words really mean.
As we’ve seen in this election cycle, there's a big divide between Americans on how to express and preserve the ideals that our nation was built upon. Our society has been steadily progressing towards being more inclusive, more compassionate, more open-minded and more observant of our own prejudices. In fact, I think a lot of Americans felt we were making great progress in many spheres, as the voices of the LGBT+ community, women, blacks, Latinos and young people were being heard consistently in the mainstream media for the first time. The bigoted, xenophobic and fear-mongering rhetoric of this election feels like it’s taken a step back from that America--at least it felt that way for me.
As the election came closer and closer, I got more and more scared about what exactly the results would be. I decided I would stay quiet until I truly decided who I was going to vote for. I didn’t particularly stay true to that, because I just couldn’t keep my mouth shut when I heard the absurd, offensive and truly immoral things that Donald Trump said on the campaign trail. Even so, I was hesitant to attach myself firmly to one candidate. I was hesitant to raise my voice and use my power to help create the nation I want to live in.
I will keep quiet no more. I decided long ago that Hillary Clinton is who I would vote for, but I was scared to attach myself so firmly in one camp or the other. However, after watching Michelle Obama’s speech in Manchester, New Hampshire that addresses the recent sexual assault allegations against Donald Trump (among other things), I decided that I needed to use my voice. I needed to use my vote. And you do too. And another thing: #I’mWithHer.
If you haven’t already watched Michelle Obama’s speech, I strongly urge you to. Even if you’re not a Hillary supporter. Even if you’re a Republican. Even if you, for some reason, don’t like the Obamas. If you’re undecided or uninformed. If you think you aren’t going to vote. If you are a women, a feminist or just a decent, upstanding human being, then watch this speech. It's charged with power and emotion, and even if it doesn’t convince you to change who you’re voting for, I assure you that it will give you something to think about.
There are many amazing points and countless moving passages throughout the speech, but there is one particular section that truly struck me deep. As Obama comments upon the recent allegations against Donald Trump, she brings it out into the bigger spectrum to show how these comments are regressive, a step towards an America we thought was in our past.“It reminds us of stories we heard from our mothers and grandmothers about how, back in their day, the boss could say and do whatever he pleased to the women in the office, and even though they worked so hard, jumped over every hurdle to prove themselves, it was never enough.
We thought all of that was ancient history, didn’t we? And so many have worked for so many years to end this kind of violence and abuse and disrespect, but here we are in 2016 and we’re hearing these exact same things every day on the campaign trail. We are drowning in it. And all of us are doing what women have always done: we’re trying to keep our heads above water, just trying to get through it, trying to pretend like this doesn’t really bother us maybe because we think that admitting how much it hurts makes us as women look weak.
Maybe we’re afraid to be that vulnerable. Maybe we’ve grown accustomed to swallowing these emotions and staying quiet, because we’ve seen that people often won’t take our word over his. Or maybe we don’t want to believe that there are still people out there who think so little of us as women.”
Here, Obama is reminding us that our work is not finished. She reminds us that abuse, discrimination and subordination are still very much a reality for women at large. She so powerfully articulates what, I think, a lot of women feel without even knowing it.
As I heard her speaking, I realized how deeply I connected with these points. I realized that what she was saying was exactly what I'd been doing throughout the entire campaign. Throughout the whole thing, I've just been trying to pretend that the misogyny, the racism, the xenophobia, the bigotry and the inflammatory rhetoric of Donald Trump’s campaign didn’t bother me that much.
Well, it does bother me. A lot. And I will no longer pretend that it doesn’t. I will no longer pretend that this is just a part of America, because I don’t think it should be. I believe that this should be the land of opportunity for everyone: for blacks, whites, transgender people, women, Muslims, Latinos, the mentally ill, the economically disadvantaged the uneducated, everyone. But I strongly believe that justice and freedom will never be a reality under Donald Trump. So, I will be voting for Hillary Clinton.
Whether or not you agree with me, I urge you to think about the America that you want to see in the future. Take the time to look at each candidate's policies and read them thoroughly. Do research on each candidate using a variety of credible sources. Decide on the ideals that you find most important in a candidate. Here are just a few: Bipartisanship, experience, inclusion, work ethic, advocacy and connection with constituents. Once you’ve done all of that, zoom out and answer this question: What do you want America to look like in four years time?
Then make your choice, and when doing so, consider those who are different, less privileged, disadvantaged socially or economically, because when you vote you are not just casting a vote for yourself, you’re casting a vote for America. So, please, choose wisely.
Here are some videos and articles that I’ve found particularly helpful this election season:
Michelle Obama's speech in New Hampshire, 10.13.2016
Donald Trump's policies
Comparison of Clinton and Trump's tax plans
Compassion, Weakness, and the 2016 Election
Rebecca Solnit on hope in dark times
Donald Trump and white evangelicals
