It was my first year being able to finally vote in the presidential election, and I had never been more excited. I love being involved in politics, and I enjoyed researching who to vote for in the general elections at 18. When election time finally rolled around in September, I confidently knew that I was voting for Kamala Harris. I was proud to see a black woman on stage, a woman I truly believed had a shot at winning the presidential election. Yet, I was also a proud Christian. Although I acknowledged the fact that Donald Trump’s policies aligned more with my religious beliefs, there was always the nagging feeling I had due to my religion that made me wonder if I was making the right choice.
I am involved in multiple Bible clubs and organizations at my school and outside of it, so of course, these factors heavily influenced my opinions. Not to mention that I followed many Christian accounts that were in support of Trump’s campaign and how it could make our country a Christian one. Yet, I also saw stories online that broke my heart. Stories about women who were denied abortion care and died due to health problems either with them or their babies. Women who were raped had cases of incest and had experienced lethal fetal anomalies during their pregnancy, all begging the world to hear their voices and not to let another young girl not be able to access abortion care like they were so fortunately able to do. While I knew that abortion was something I would never want to consider for my own body, I couldn’t imagine taking away something that could be so essential to another woman.
I couldn’t imagine wanting to take LGBTQ+ rights away from a queer person, or having my vote take away opportunities from minorities; I wanted to help protect women. Most importantly, I wanted to make the right choice. I wanted to follow my Christian beliefs, yet I wanted to make sure that others who didn’t believe in my religion had the right to make their own choices. I’ve always believed that no one should be forced into religion and that God is supposed to guide you to Him. As his follower, I understood my role as guiding others to that goal, not forcing them to it and respecting if they choose not to follow.
I was scrolling through Instagram one day and saw a fellow Christian repost an Instagram post condemning Trump, as they captioned the following: You can be Christian and not vote for Trump. I had seen so many posts and heard from many other Christians suggesting otherwise, and it felt like a relief. I scrolled through the comments on the post she shared and saw others agreeing. I instantly felt a part of my community in a whole new light. I decided to vote for who I felt would bring a positive change to America. I decided to vote for a politician who would unite Americans instead of divide and to be confident in my vote. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to the polls in time due to class conflicts and the long line at the polling office. I was sent away feeling pretty terrible about it. I wanted my voice to be heard, but I knew it would be within the others who had voted for my beliefs. Trump won the election, and this experience has taught me not to cast judgment on others who hold opposing views, but to try and understand their decisions and see the goodness that they have tried to display through their choices. Although Trump isn’t the candidate I would have voted for, I am hoping that during his term, he will have the best interests of the country and citizens in mind, and do what is best for us all.