Yes, I voted for Hillary Clinton. Yes, I am devastated that we are at least 4 more years away from having a woman in office. Yes, I disagree with Trump and his values. Yes, I am honestly terrified of what my country will look like in 4 years. But no, I am not writing this article to criticize and shame Trump and his supporters. Donald Trump won the U.S. election fair and square. The 15th, 19th, and 26th amendments combined give any U.S. citizen above the age of 18 the right to vote This right was exercised, and the people decided that Donald Trump would be the next president of the United States.
What I will criticize, however, are the people who wasted an opportunity and right that millions of people around the world and even in the United States, have sacrificed their lives to achieve. We are fortunate enough to have the ability to elect who we want to run our country, while so many others would give anything to have this right. According to the United States Election Project, only 57% of eligible voters voted in the 2016 Presidential election. It is astonishing to think that nearly half of the country did not bother to partake in the most consequential election in recent history. I believe that the election results could have been dramatically different had every person in the U.S. exercised their right to vote. However, I cannot wrap my head around the fact that thousands of people made a joke of what might be our most important right as U.S. citizens, and waited in line at the polls for hours, only to completely waste their ballot by voting for third-party candidates or even filling in their own choice of candidates not listed on the ballot.
In Florida, Hillary Clinton lost by about 1.4% of the vote – but if Jill Stein’s supporters and half of Gary Johnson’s backers had voted Democratic, Trump would have lost the state. Similarly, in Pennsylvania, Clinton lost by about 1.1% of the vote – but if Jill Stein’s supporters and half of Gary Johnson’s backers had voted Democratic, Trump would have lost the state. In Wisconsin, Clinton lost by about 1% of the vote – but if Stein’s supporters had voted Democratic, Trump would have lost the state. In Michigan, Clinton appears to be on track to lose by about 0.3% of the vote – but if half of Stein’s supporters had voted Democratic, Trump would have lost the state. -Steve Benen, MSNBC.
If the majority of these voters had voted for Clinton, then the election would have ended very differently.
I am also disappointed in those who are criticizing and trying to silence people who are voicing their frustration at the election. The first amendment gives us as Americans the right to freedom of speech, and it should be celebrated that people are taking advantage of this right that, again, many people around the world do not have. I have spent today (the day after the election) scrolling through my social media, and for the first time, I am truly paying attention to what my friends have to say online. I have never been so impressed by my peers. These people are brave enough to express vulnerability, voice their private views and beliefs, and are inspiring others to stay strong throughout this confusing time. These are the people who make me proud to be an American. So please, don’t try to seem “chill” and above all of this; you are not, since you are just as affected by this as everyone else. Maybe you don’t have a strong opinion about the results, or maybe you are even too scared to publicize your private opinions, but please, don’t bring others down for doing so.
I’ve had many people ask me what it like to be an American in this chaotic time. Everyone expects my answer to be that I am humiliated and that I plan on staying in Canada for the rest of my life, but this is not the case. I am still proud to be an American. Obviously I am unhappy about the election and the fact that Donald Trump, a man who represents so many things that I am against, is my next president, but this doesn’t make me ashamed of where I come from. I refuse to let one man change the way I view my country. Although I am disappointed in the people who did not vote, or wasted their ballots, I will not let them change the way I feel about my home. I hope that others feel the same way. Lastly, we cannot let this election divide the country; we have to remember that we are stronger together than divided. I have seen demonstrations of people burning flags from a personal friend’s snapchat and this is not ok. We cannot let one man ruin our loyalty to or take away our respect for our country. Over 150,000 men and women are fighting overseas to protect our country, and we cannot disrespect them and what they have sacrificed for us because of Donald Trump – do not give him that power. We are better than this and him.