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The President You Should Vote For

Hump Day 2016


Tomorrow is Hump Day (Hillary/Trump, see?), as a day we've long been dreading as a society. In classic fashion, it falls before Wednesday, giving us two straight days in the middle of the week we wish didn't exist.

This election stands apart in recent memory, as it is one in which both candidates are among the most disliked politicians ever to receive major party nominations. It is a battle of which one do you hate more, not which one do you want to lead your country.

I was multitasking after work today: having a bit of a run while trying not to die. My oxygen-starved brain somehow stumbled upon a small revelation in the midst of doing these things: "Power is the ability to effect change."

The power of dictators lies in the control of their subjugated masses, wealth gives the power to travel, purchase objects or favors, etc., an athlete's power lies in his/her ability to make the difference in a contest. Knowing I couldn't be alone in this thought, I double-checked the dictionary; nice.

We all have some degree of power over ourselves and those around us. Our birth circumstances, intellectual capabilities or gifts of charisma, our bodies themselves, these are all factors in our personal degree of power or ability. Writing is a medium of power, and perhaps this short jumble of words can inspire you to effect change.

Trump rose to power through the perceived notion that he could effect change. "Make America Great Again", Build a wall, an attitude of "I'll say what I want in contrast to politicians". The projection of power drew support from many Americans.

Still, there are many that perceive that the man Trump is happens to be inconsistent with things he has historically said and done. I tire of reading the litany of -phobics and -ists that normally would serve to demonstrate this, but suffice it to say we know that Trump the man is not what Trump the politician is (yes, he became that while you weren't looking).

My conscience would never allow me to vote for Hillary Clinton. Casting aside the various scandals and breaches of character that litter her storied past, she supports abortion. Personally I will never support that, because I've watched abortion take place on video. You will never unsee that, and if you would like to be a "pro-choice advocate" I recommend watching what you support. We all need to understand what we believe, or it is folly.

Many facebook posts of late, even those by members of the clergy, exhort everyone to vote for Trump. As if Trump's promises are all that matter in the face of what he's actually done and promulgated by his words and actions. Tough truth: he isn't what he says he is, and if you don't know that you're blinding yourself with excuses and wrapping yourself in political rhetoric intended to deceive.

So I will vote, but I don't wish to vote for either Donald J. Trump or Hillary Clinton. And I won't. Because power is the ability to effect change. We sit here bemoaning a broken system, and expecting it to change, when we are not effecting change; we leave ourselves powerless with our reliance on a system we no longer believe in (on both sides of the aisle).

Someone wrote "What is the point of voting your conscience when it will have literally no impact?" I think you've answered your own question. If you don't wish to be the change you want to see in the world, you are powerless to effect that change. Writing in a candidate whose beliefs you mirror won't change this election. For all of us human beings with short memories and shorter foresight this seems to hold water. Look back on every moment of change in history; it starts small.

Who should you vote for your president in 2016? The person your conscience tells you to vote for. That is what gives hope to humanity's future, and that is what being the change you want to see in the world consists of.


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