On Sunday, October 9, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton faced off in the second presidential debate.
As I sat down to watch the madness unfold, I couldn't help but ponder the alarming severity of the event, because the truth is that what I along with all of America was about to witness essentially paralleled a reality TV show episode. There are approximately 300 million people in America, and we as a nation have elected the two most wildly unfit candidates to run for the presidency. It is preposterous, it is unsettling, and it is truly frightening that America, the greatest country in the world, will soon be lead by either a lying criminal, or a temperamental narcissist. We may perpetually laugh and poke fun at both candidates, but in less than a month, one of them will be elected to serve in the most important office in the world, a position that neither of them is worthy of securing.
The first half hour of the presidential debate, a crucial period for setting the tone, was essentially a scene out of Mean Girls. Clinton and Trump exchanged a ceaseless series of personal insults, and while they may have been entertaining - and even true - they took away important time for civilians to ask questions, and for the issues to be discussed. Before I dabble further into the shit show that is this election, I want to make a few things clear.
I am a registered Independent, and when registering to vote, I told myself that I will support a candidate who I feel will support my values and serve our country well. I didn't to simply associate with one party or another, because I believe that the beauty of America is that we are a melting pot of beliefs, cultures, and ideas, and as such, our diversity is what unifies us. I believe that this same concept can be applied to politics, for nothing will get done if we don't work together. That said, it saddens me beyond belief that I have two completely immoral options as I prepare to cast my first ever vote as a 19-year-old American citizen. I am not going to abstain from voting, as I know that men and women have died to secure my right to express my views, and I will do so in respect to those who have built our nation. But I will not be voting for Trump nor Clinton. While I respect the argument that casting my vote to a third party candidate only helps Clinton or Trump respectively (depending on which candidate you support), I cannot bring myself to vote for a person who I do not trust and no not believe in. The worst part is when other women get angry at me for not supporting Hillary, but I will not blindly vote for a women just because I identify as well. I'm going to vote for the best person for the job, and I do not deem either mainstream candidate to be that. I would love to see a woman president just as much as the next girl, but I do not want that woman to be Hilary Clinton. Thus, I know it might seem selfish, but my only form of protest is to vote for a third-party candidate who holds few views that I actually do support, and that's OK. That is what I'm going to do, because I don't feel comfortable doing otherwise, and truth be told, I really don't think that I have any other rational choice.
As a woman, I am disgusted with the vulgar comments that Trump has made insinuating his chauvinistic views, and this was heavily discussed during the debate. Talking about women so candidly and writing it off as being "One of those things," is, in essence, rape culture. So-called "locker room banter" should not ever be condoned, especially by an individual who is attempting to become the next president of the United States. It's demeaning, vulgar, scary, and unacceptable, and Trump needs to take responsibility instead of incessantly pointing to Bill Clinton's many flaws. Even though Clinton did commit atrocious acts, ones which Hillary tried to cover up, Trump needs to nobly take the blame for his own faults. But also, as a citizen of America who should feel a sense of security with our leadership, not enough questions were asked to Hillary about her emails and her leaked speeches, and when they were asked, she dodged them with irrelevant and confusing comments that did not pertain to the matter at hand in an attempt to misguide her audience. As well, she infamously called Trump supporters a "basket of deplorables," and only apologized by saying that half of them were. What about the other half? It's not okay to write off people who do not share your beliefs, no matter how far-fetched they may be. America is a place of freedom of thought, a rare luxury in the world we live in today. A seasoned politician must embody these traits, and lead by example.
It's not some hidden secret that the two nominees for president are totally unqualified, in terms of their demeanors. They each have the unique experience to back up their arguments and the foundations for which they have constructed their campaigns, but at the end of the day, they cannot hide their corruption and immorality from the American public. Never once have two people as horrid as Trump and Clinton competed for the highest position of office, and tonight, town-hall participant Karl Becker highlighted just that. In the final question of the evening, Becker asked, "Regardless of the current rhetoric, would either of you name one positive thing that you respect in one another?" While the candidates were eventually able to do so, I was momentarily left in a state of shock. This is where we are at in American politics. Rather than discussing the issues and the future direction of our country, we have to ask the candidates, two grown people with years of experience, to come out of their time-outs, kiss and makeup. Really? This question was extraordinarily powerful in the sense that it illuminated everything that is wrong with this election. There is no respect, and a wedge is being driven throughout our country. The candidates do not respect each other, but they also do not respect the American people. Hillary will say anything to anyone to get elected, so it is impossible to know what she will actually do in the Oval Office. She sits on a throne of pomposity, basks in her own self-importance, feels that she is immune to the law, she's a blatant hypocrite, she is reckless, and she is greedy. Trump is dangerously candid, hot-headed, and cannot articulate effectively and efficiently. He constantly contradicts himself, disrespects many groups and individuals because of their cultures and ethnicities, and is everything but level-headed. Thus, he has revealed his true self time and time again, thereby establishing himself as a thoughtless person.
Let this election serve as a wakeup call to all of America that something's got to give. We need to start grooming new people to step up and prove themselves as worthy leaders, because inevitably, our country is about to be placed in unworthy hands. No matter who is elected, they will be vulnerable in four years, and may not win a second term. America has to work together to introduce new politicians with bright and innovative ideas. We need to stop separating, and instead, come together and find common ground. Compromise is our only hope, so I pray that when my children read about this election in their high school text books, it will serve as a learning lesson of everything that was wrong with America, and how we changed and moved forward to become a better, stronger, and more united nation.
