As recently as three years ago, I would have never seriously considered voting outside the Democratic Party. It was never a loyalty thing with me; the Dems' platform mirrored most of my beliefs. They still do. Regrettably, the same cannot be said for the way in which they and the Republican Party operates:
I am tired of the millionaire donors.
I am tired of the lobbyist ties.
I am fatigued by a broken government.
I am fatigued by a broken government.
I am exhausted by this two-party system.
I am choosing to limit participation within it.
Admittedly, 2016 is not the best year for me to have a conscience conversion. Some friends on Facebook remind me of that daily. Some of the rhetoric is hardcore: I am apparently inciting a second Holocaust by entertaining a vote for anyone but Hillary. Voting for anyone else renders a vote for Trump and I'll have to live with that for the rest of my life; I am dooming my country. Ironically, these are the same fear-mongering tactics utilized by the candidate whom these voters despise. Trust me, folks: my first election was Bush vs. Gore. I realize the ramifications of a vote--or a lack thereof.
As a then-nineteen-year old looking for someone to blame, I could not and did not want to understand what Ralph Nader and his supporters were doing. Although I've shown up fifteen years late, I get it now.
As a then-nineteen-year old looking for someone to blame, I could not and did not want to understand what Ralph Nader and his supporters were doing. Although I've shown up fifteen years late, I get it now.
On November 8, I plan on casting my vote for the Woman who is uniquely qualified to lead our country in a transparent, non-dynastic, non-corporate-leaning fashion: Dr. Jill Stein.
You might think that this the part of the show where I denounce Hillary Clinton, the person. Not gonna happen. In terms of ideology alone, I like Hillary. I like her qualifications. But I also think that her ties to a broken system run too deep and in being chained to a party, I do not view her as a transparent candidate. Being a fervent student of American History also contributes to my opinion. Our Presidency was never intended to be a dynasty, the office being held in a trust for sons, possibly brothers, possibly spouses. In addition, I have a sincere problem with electing anyone approaching seventy years of age to the highest office in our country--a country with an ever-changing energy, in dire need of fresh approaches and ideas. In fairness, Stein isn't much younger than Hillary but her views and lack of system-conformity mirror what our country needs to examine. If you find me an ageist due to my last sentences, that's because the shoe fits. Reagan didn't belong in office nor Dole nor McCain or Sanders. Speaking of Bernie, as much as he spouted revolution, I never bought that a 74-year old lifelong politician would be a true agent for change. He never fully convinced me. Because even if it were true, he is still part of the Democratic Party and would have never left that army to go solo on so many near-impossible ideas. Bernie was an easy sell for a lot of people--a lot of people who hadn't been paying attention or chose to ignore the maddening stalemate of which President Obama has been held prisoner for the past seven years--and for which we all have suffered.
Mainstream candidate supporters might read that last paragraph as horrific cynicism and a vote for Trump but I view my decision as just the opposite: I am eagerly claiming my right to vote for whom I choose, ignoring the "lesser of two evils" mentality and voting for a candidate in whom I believe to be the best choice for my country. If that isn't Patriotic, Progressive or Democratic, I do not know what is. I highly resent the fact that in a country of 320 + million people, I am instructed by society and my government to choose between just two candidates in a political arena which has grown to benefit those who had that arena built on the backs of the labor and intellectual weaknesses of the American electorate. That stops with me--and that's the beginning of how it stops completely.
And what if my vote does contribute to a President Trump? Perhaps we need Donald Trump to awaken and unite an apathetic nation who turns a weary, blind eye to mass shootings and business as usual. Perhaps his actions would prompt an otherwise frustratingly partisan government to come together, to defeat him and his ideas for the greater good. To perhaps give hope to a cynical nation by reaffirming the way our government is suppose to function. Besides, do you really think that any person with such a narcissistic interest in his own business ventures cares about systematically changing the government? Please. I do not support Trump's candidacy for a moment, but my conscience should not be jailed and my opportunities as a voting citizen held hostage just to ensure that he isn't elected. The very message that we should vote for someone at any cost to defeat someone else means that we hold our Fears higher than we hold our Democracy. We are not protecting Democracy by voting against a candidate on that merit--we are feeding into its demise because that mentality strips us of our right to choose. No candidate--no party--should hold that power over anyone.
Notice that I am not extolling the virtues of Dr. Stein. Notice that I am not slamming Hillary or Donald. Much. I am slamming the system--and they just happen to be part of it. As voters have very short memories, I will remind people that this is the same broken system that Bernie and Trump supporters alike are rallying against.
I should not and will not tell you how to vote--and thank you for not impressing that upon me, either.
But I am a piss-poor citizen if I quietly allow society to listen to the same feel-good-speeches with the same tired promises and rhetoric that blinds us to the same broken realities and inequalities of our situation. To my loyal, two-party system friends, I do ask you to listen to your conscience and block out the "have to" and "no choice" rubbish that we are being fed. To my friends on either side who have been advocates for revolution, I am not telling you anything new.
I am reminding you of what you want.
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