In the wake of both the Republican and Democratic conventions, the nation has been rocked. Political tensions are high, higher than usual, as both parties are locked in a battle for the office. Facing issues of race, sexuality, women's rights, and gun violence, both nominees will have plenty to prove in the next few months.

However, as a young, first time voter, I feel I have plenty to prove as well. I find myself having to justify my choices when it comes to politics to older generations, as if because I am young, I am uninformed. I find myself having to pay super close attention to every move both candidates make so as to maintain that I am not uninformed. I find myself facing backlash, even hate, for voicing that I am a Democrat, from those who assume it is only my millennial status shaping my opinion.

But that isn't the case. My opinion was and is being shaped everyday by the experiences, the people, and the environment that I grew up in.

When I say that I strongly believe in the Black Lives Matter movement, I'm not saying that I don't believe police lives don't matter. I am saying that they are not one in the same-people chose to become officers of the law, whereas no one can chose their race. I'm not saying that black lives are the only lives that matter, either. I'm saying that for too long have they suffered in silence and now they are finally, and rightfully, fighting back. I am saying I stand with the voices ringing out that it is time to respect them as human beings, to fight for them as human beings, and to let them live without fear of other human beings. I am also fighting back against the stigma that I was raised on in my uppity suburban town, that black people are lesser, that they are inherently dangerous, stupid, and worthless, and that I should be afraid of them. Because none of that is true. I believe in the Black Lives Matter movement because it is time for those who have lived in the shadows for so long to finally have their day in the son, and so help me, I will fight for them to have it.

When I say I am Pro-Choice, that doesn't make me Pro-Abortion. Honestly, being Pro-Abortion is a disgusting and horrid thing to me. What this does mean is that I believe women have the right to make decisions for their body, that it is not up to the government or anyone else what they can or cannot do to their body. It should not be up to someone sitting in an office 3,000 miles away from me whether or not at 18 I can get a legal abortion or not. I am not saying that there isn't something tragic and heartbreaking about the loss of life caused by an abortion, but I don't believe that it is fair to prioritize the life of an unborn fetus, a culmination of cells, over the life of a terrified woman. There should never be a need to "argue the case" of abortion-it is not case specific. You cannot tell one woman she can and another she can't. It's as if you're prioritizing some lives over others...again.The bottom line is that it should be legal for all women to seek out and have access to abortion clinics.

When I say that I am a feminist, that doesn't mean that I hate men. I believe in equality for both sexes, which unfortunately is not the case right now. When men like Mike Pence say that women should not be allowed to vote, it almost erases all the progress that I thought women had made in the last 100 years. The truth is that women still earn less per hour compared to a man, certain jobs, including entire job fields (engineering, science, math, athletics), are all perceived to be men's jobs. Women are still treated as incapable and stupid, and should only be judged on their looks. Hillary Clinton is a prime example; while Donald Trump is questioned on his political repertoire, Clinton is judged on what she wears to rallies and conventions. While Donald Trump is pumped to become president, Hillary Clinton is pumped to be a woman president-because the only thing she has to offer the world is her vagina. That is why I'm a feminist. Because I believe that women everywhere have so much more to offer outside of their bodies.

When I say that I am pro-LGBTQ, it doesn't mean I'm not a religious person. It doesn't mean I don't have faith in God. It means that I believe everyone, regardless of who they chose to love, has the right to salvation, and has the right to be treated as worthy human beings. Continuing with the hatred and degradation of these people fuels the fires that lead to mass shootings like the ones in Orlando. Because I am a religious person, I like to think that all those killed are with God and are finally at peace, but they should not have had to die to find peace. Being religious means that I have learned to love and grow by listening and reading about the plights of those in the Bible and in history books. They fought for their belief in God, fought for the salvation of all, ending in betrayal and death. Sometimes I wonder if that death was for nothing, as we continue to kill and betray and hate.

When I say that I am for gun laws, it doesn't mean that I want to take all your guns away. I just want to make it more difficult, practically impossible, for the wrong sort of people to get their hands on guns. If that means mental health session, background checks, a longer wait time, and more tests to get the license and gun, then I'm all for it. If it means protecting lives from crazed individuals with dangerous and hateful agendas, I'm all for it. I don't want to see stories on the news of deaths of families, school shootings, acts of domestic terrorism, or any more shootings that could have easily been avoided by stricter gun laws. When I say that I am for gun laws, I am not in any way infringing on the 2nd Amendment, which only refers to a "well-regulated Militia," and how the government has no right to take that away.

What I mean when I say that I am a Democrat is that I believe in equality for everyone, regardless of race, gender, belief, or sexual orientation. I believe that all humans deserve basic rights, that we all deserve to live without fear, and that we all deserve to be heard. When I say I am a Democrat, trust me that I am not some wacky liberal who wants to legalize drugs or start another World War. Trust that I am not a monster, and that I know what I am talking about. Trust that I won't judge you for your beliefs, but instead will probably engage in a debate about beliefs. I won't try to change your mind if you won't try to change mine. Deal?

If you do that, we should get along just fine.