You may or may not have heard about that thing that happened on November 9th. It was a huge deal.
Amidst the controversy surrounding the presidential pick, there have been a lot of fingers pointed at people for their voting decisions. Many of these fingers, I have noticed, are being pointed at people who chose to vote for an independent party candidate. This is not okay.
First of all, it is hugely hypocritical to say that a vote for an independent candidate is a vote that doesn't matter. Realistically, no, an independent candidate is not going to win the election. The two-party system is too built up for an underdog. But the independent voters are still going to the polls, still voicing their opinion, still participating in politics. On November 8, the majority of the commentary regarding voting was along the lines of "Go vote! Get out and vote! I don't care who you vote for, as long as you perform your civic duty and vote!" Come November 10, after approximately half of the nation was upset by results, these comments vanished, being replaced by accusations such as "Independent voters took away five percent of the vote" or "Independent voters have nobody to blame but themselves." See the double standard?
Besides, most of the Independent voters are disenfranchised Republicans who do not feel aligned with Trump's beliefs and values. It is likely that they would have chosen to side with their party, or to have not voted at all, had they not gone with the leading independent candidate, Libertarian Gary Johnson. If anything, that two percent of the vote allocated toward Johnson took away votes from Trump. Isn't that what the people angry at these voters wanted?
On a more long-term note, a high percentage of votes being allocated toward an independent candidate is important to shaping what future presidential candidates do to win over voters. Usually, the Independent voters are moderates, not having intense Democratic or Republican values, but a mix right in the middle. As the number of people preferring a moderate candidate increases, Democratic and Republican political figures will trend towards more moderate ideas and policies to retain popularity, decreasing the polarity of the two-party system that so effectively divides our country.
Ultimately, it is most important that people do go vote. Saying someone's independent vote is invalid, when a large portion of the population considers themselves unaligned with either party, only decreases the likelihood of these people going to the polls to voice their opinion, forfeiting their right as an American. Where does this leave our country? With a vastly disjointed political spectrum, where only fierce liberals and fierce conservatives feel the importance of voicing their opinion.
