It's obvious that America is becoming increasingly disillusioned with the 2016 presidential election and all of the arguments, quotes, accusations, memes, and Facebook un-friending it has brought on our society. As a result, there's been a big push towards third party candidates, which isn't a bad thing. However, this push has come along with many comments bemoaning the fact that Clinton and Trump are "equally bad." Obviously everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but here are some of the reasons why I find that statement to be absolutely untrue.
A Trump presidency and a Clinton presidency would have very different impacts on minority communities within the United States. In addition to Trump's plans to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico and deport men, women, and children across the board, he has also made many racist comments in passing (e.g., saying a U.S.-born judge was biased against him and unfit to serve because the judge's parents were Mexican). Trump has championed stop-and-frisk multiple times during the presidential debates, arguing that it was not ruled unconstitutional and that it's a good way to reduce crime in inner cities. Stop-and-frisk, when implemented, has been found to disproportionately target people of color, as well as rarely working to prevent crime. In addition, the targeting of minority communities by police generates distrust amongst the community members, exacerbating racial tension in the U.S. Clinton has a history that is a bit too conservative for many Democrats' liking, but she is running on the Democratic platform and has sought counsel from more left-leaning politicians like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. In the first debate, she acknowledged the mounting tension between minorities and police, and encouraged everyone to pay attention to their unconscious biases - and did not suggest any measures that have been found unconstitutional.
Trump has on-and-off supported a total ban of Muslims entering the United States. An across the board ban of immigrants to our country of immigrants based on their religious identity is heinously antithetical to American values. There are many ways to combat Islamic terrorism without blaming or persecuting Muslims - American or foreign - who are simply going about their lives and are not any more closely associated with Islamic terrorism than other non-Muslim Americans. Rhetoric from Trump and other Republicans during the campaign alone has led to higher rate of assault against Muslims in America. Clinton supports continuing to vet people attempting to immigrate to the U.S. and does not support rejecting entire groups of potential immigrants for any reason.
A Trump presidency would negatively impact not only racial minorities but the LGBTQ community, as well. Though Trump has not held one solid position on gay rights throughout the years, he currently says he does not support gay marriage, and has chosen one of the most horrifically anti-LGBTQ running mates possible. Mike Pence supports sending non-cis and/or non-straight children to conversion camps - abusive places notorious for rampant suicide and PTSD. In the past, Hillary said she did not support gay marriage either, but has since changed her position and remained consistent. Additionally, she is running on the Democratic platform, which supports gay marriage and is slowly moving in the right direction on trans* rights after the national discussion on public bathroom usage and labeling. Nominating Trump and Pence would be a tremendous and dangerous step back for a community in a very precarious situation.
Donald Trump's feelings about and his treatment of women has been a popular topic over the past few weeks, but given what we knew of Trump before the Billy Bush tape was released, it shouldn't be all that surprising. Trump had supported "punishment" for women seeking abortions, said he would date his daughter if he weren't her father, commented on whether or not he thought his infant daughter would have her mother's breasts, etc. On the tape with Billy Bush, Trump bragged about sexually assaulting women. When it was shown that Trump would win by a wide margin if women didn't vote, Trump supporters began to share the hashtag #repealthe19th, referencing the amendment that gave women the right to vote. A Trump presidency would be disastrous for many women across the nation, and the fact that he still has significant support is a clear indication of how far we have yet to go vis-á-vis women's rights.
The difference in political experience between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton is laughable. In the last debate, Clinton pointed out that she was working on the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden while Trump was airing an episode of The Apprentice. Trump has never held an elected office and has no political experience whatsoever. The appeal of a "non-politician" is undeniable, but a candidate who relies on that appeal still needs to be able to demonstrate an ability to do the job for which they are vying. Trump has shown himself to be hyper-sensitive, easily baited, inconsistent, belligerent, unwilling to learn, and completely lacking an understanding of the threat of nuclear war. On the other hand, Clinton has over 30 years of political experience, including as Secretary of State, and has proven herself to be very calm and collected throughout her career, even when being interrupted 37 times in one debate.
Donald Trump is not another bad politician whose potential presidency could be "waited out." Even one term under a Trump administration would be a perilous step back for racial minorities, the LGBTQ community, Muslims, women, and particularly any intersections thereof. Members of these groups are begging you to consider and value their human rights, and to help ensure Trump does not become our 45th president.
