Everyone takes sick days: students, teachers, office workers, celebrities, and yes, dare I say, presidential candidates. Just like everyone else, presidential candidates are (believe it or not) not robots, but humans whose immune systems occasionally fail them.

When the internet flew into a tizzy after Clinton left the 9/11 memorial and needed assistance to get into her van I had to wonder why people thought it was such a big deal. Clinton had pneumonia and dehydration and who can blame her? Imagine campaigning for almost two years non-stop. Endless debates, speaking engagements, fundraising events, and battling the slander from opposers...it must be draining. Now I'm not trying to romanticize the political playing field or make Clinton the sole victim of the relentless political arena; she chose the life she chose after all. However, for those feeding into the relentless hate against her, I would like you to ask are you so superior that you've never been sick?

Yes, I understand the concern that comes with Clinton's health wavering on the brink of being the potential leader of the free world, but as far as we knowing her health is only wavering...not declining . Additionally, I realize that she has been known to cough when speaking, something that happens fairly often to myself and many other people when they talk for a long period of time, let alone hundreds of speaking events. I know there are health conspiracies circulating around Clinton since 2012, but the thing is she's always in the spotlight...if she's sick people will know and people will take anything they can get and run with it.... fast. I would also like to ask when conspiracies are ever corroborated with enough substantial evidence to be proven true...the answer is very seldom. If I have learned anything from being an English major it is that humans are inherent storytellers in need constant stimulation to excite the mind, and I strongly feel that that is the only purpose Clinton's health conspiracies inform.

While everyone is in obsessing over Clinton's health, I would like to know why significantly few people have anything to critique about Trump's health. It is known that he is a poor eater, does not sleep well, and seldom takes time to rest. and yet I have not seen any enraged Facebook post or fiery tweets asking about his health. My point is, is that while Clinton is getting the majority of the backlash for not disclosing a great deal of health information Trump equally has not (oh and he also has yet to release his tax reforms). However, how valid Trump's medical examination was is definitely subject to question as it was four paragraphs long (as opposed to Clinton's two) and it was performed by his gastroenterologist which stumps me because when was the last time you went to your gastro doctor for a wellness visit?

For my final point I'm going to whip out the women card, because one of the reasons I'm with Her is because I'm a full-fledged feminist (BUT that's not the main or only reason), and I believe that the womanly imagine is one that is still conceived as weak and frail when they aspire for a traditionally male dominated position. In fact, The New York times seems to agree with me as they claimed regarding the conspiracy theories:

"These health theories—which portray the first woman presidential candidate of a major U.S. political party as weak and frail, qualities often assigned to women as a way of dismissing them.."

Before you judge Clinton on her health, think about how you would critique Trump if the same thing happened to him? Would you at all?... or would you believe that his inherently magical masculinity would eventually right his aliments? As November roles into your life consider asking how gender affects your views on who you will be voting for.