Who I'm Voting For

       Here's the thing...I'm not telling you, or anyone. Ballot booths are private for a reason. In normal elections, I would have no problem standing for the candidate I believe in, but the problem here is; I don't believe in ANY of the candidates. I don't trust ANY of the candidates. I'm not proud to vote for the person that I am, and I can't tell anyone else that they should make the same decision as I am because I genuinely don't know if my decision is the right one. Everyone has heard that it isn't polite to discuss religion and politics in good company, but in the age of the internet, it seems that this is all people want to discuss. Can't we all just get along?

     Actually no. This is all absolutely not acceptable in a time like this. I can't be passive about this. The american people are asked to choose between the lesser of two evils EVERY ELECTION. I'm done. This is the first election I have ever been able to vote in, and i'm already done with the entire process. This is not to say that i'm not going to vote...I will. I just won't do it with a sense of pride or arrogance or even contentment. I'll do it because I have to, because that is how our messed up system works. If you are a voter in this election, remember this one thing; the power is in your hands. Our system is set up to serve the people, and because of that, we have the power to change corruption. Our decisions don't stop at the ballot box. Our influence does not lose power if our candidate doesn't win. Revolutions start when people realize that their power does not only come every four years; activism is EVERY DAY. Tweet this

      So, what can we do to fix this mess? First we must examine who we really are as a people, and what we really believe.I can't help but wonder, if we can't choose better people to represent our entire country, what does that say about the american people? Are we willing to just go with mob mentality and let someone else tell us what to believe? Or do we genuinely search through our individual morals and make decisions based on our own beliefs rather than the whitewashed traditions that have been passed down in every way possible. For a culture that is so concerned with individualism, I'm starting to think that we actually have no idea what true individualism means. "you do you...as long as that agrees with what I believe" is not true individual thinking; it's manipulation. Whether you are on the right, or on the left, chances are you believe strongly that your opinions are your own, and not the product of media, tradition, culture or personal experience. I grew up thinking that my ideas about the world were the only ones that counted, but I am learning now that ideas constantly shift the more you experience and learn about different ways of thinking. In an age where information from all sides is at our fingertips, it's no wonder that more and more people are developing a stronger sense of diversity, but I think it would be valuable to remember that each and every person out there has some sort of bias that affects their way of life, belief systems and decisions. This is not a case for moral relativism, rather for personal humility, open mindedness and compassion and consideration for those we do not understand. I personally do not understand any reason why someone could still proudly stand with Donald Trump, but the fact is that people I know and love...my own family are some of those people. Family is family no matter what political party, religion, or disagreement may separate them, and I cannot in good conscience do anything that would alienate those people from my life.

       Mob mentality, a strong grasp on tradition, and feelings of being played the wrong cards in life are a recipe for political disaster, but even though I disagree with people who base their voting choices on those elements, I cannot ever reject someone personally for making what I think is the wrong decision. I don't think it's ever okay for people to use their love or relationships as leverage in this political season. Remember; that guy with the obnoxious bumper sticker for the party you don't agree with is a human being. We cannot change hearts and minds with shouting, picket signs, hateful speech, lengthy Facebook rants about the degradation of our society, or even with convincing arguments. Our revolution starts and ends with people. Tweet This: "Our revolution starts and ends with people."
 We have to put person before policy. We have to see people for who they are, not the candidate they support. You can't fight fire with fire, anger with anger, or hate with hate. To anyone out there who still cares; we have to be better than this. We have to unite in love and compassion. LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Please.