If you have paid attention to really anything these past few months, I am sure you have probably come to the conclusion that Donald Trump is pretty out of control. From hateful rhetoric toward the Hispanic population to an endorsement by a former KKK leader to a shocking article in TIME that “nearly 20 percent of Trump fans think freeing the slaves was a bad idea,” I have come to realize that as a republican in this modern era, I seriously need to reevaluate what this means.
Republican politicians as of late are on a different planet, with Trump being an obvious target. But really, to see just how insane the GOP is, we need to take a look at local elections and other GOP candidates. Take a second to digest it, but Virginia just passed a law basically making discrimination legal if it is in line with your religious beliefs. WHAT? I do not know a single religion that endorses putting down others. In fact, as a Christian, I was taught that this is the exact opposite of what we should practice. Other lawmakers across the country are actively working to push anti-LGBT legislation, especially in order to target transgender people. Pay attention to what your local legislators believe in, because they just might be trying to pass something as hateful as South Dakota’s bathroom bill.
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I tend to pride myself in being a moderate when it comes to politics: fiscally more red, socially more blue. But this election, things have gotten out of hand, and I cannot bear to see a backwards a**hat like Trump win the presidency.
But take a bird's eye view and look at the entire picture of the GOP. I am still confused as to why non-issues such as abortion are up for debate. Didn’t Roe v. Wade rule it legal? So why are a bunch of privileged men in suits still talking about abortion, why is John Kasich actively working to defund planned parenthood in Ohio, and why is Marco Rubio trying to deny my right to choose even in the case of rape?
Marco Rubio has said, “I’m not telling you it’s easy. I’m not here saying it’s an easy choice. It is a horrifying thing what you’ve just described. It’s heartbreaking. It is unimaginable, quite frankly. I get it. I really do. And that’s why this issue is so difficult.” No sir, you cannot imagine what it is like. You don’t “get it,” because if you did, I do not think you’d be sitting there telling the women of America they must have a baby that is the product of rape. Hello? The 1950s are calling, and they are here to talk about the dangers of back alley abortions.
The GOP seems more interested in locking me back in the kitchen and stripping me of the rights feminists have fought for since the suffrage movement than they do in running the greatest country on Earth.
A party still worried about gay marriage should have no place in the White House. Honestly, it should be a complete non-issue after the highest court in the land ruled it legal. (When I say non-issue, I mean it should no longer be debated if we have the right to gay marriage, because we do. I am not trying to imply that the fight for gay rights is over.) Trump’s stance against gay marriage hurts the thousands of gay couples in the United States who just want to live their lives. “Trump is sending the message to the one million gay couples who are raising approximately two million kids in the United States that they shouldn't be treated equally. He wants their viewership for his shows and their money at his properties (Gay and lesbian travelers spend an estimated $17 billion a year for tourism), but Trump doesn't want to allow them the same dignity and respect as all loving couples and families.”
We need to start seeing that Republican Candidates are not simply for “conservative values,” but are using their power in politics to actively discriminate against others. I am tired of hearing that these values are based in Christianity and religion when Jesus Christ himself taught us that we should love others. See Mark 12:31, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Religion is being exploited as a means to hurt others via the GOP when, newsflash: in the good ole US of A, we have freedom OF religion, not FROM religion. Translation: if my religion condones murdering people, I am not allowed to go out and murder people.
The GOP, especially Trump, has lost my respect with their radical blast from the past politics. We need to stop laughing at Trump and start realizing he is a real problem who is leading in the polls. We do not want a president who says “26,000 unreported sexual assaults in the military—only 238 convictions. What did these geniuses expect when they put men & women together?” via Twitter, according to the Huffington Post. Check out the article to see other ridiculous, sexist, and just plain ignorant beliefs held by Trump.
A very sobering piece found at Salon.com emphasized that other GOP candidates are much closer to Trump we think, if they are not worse. Trump is loud and self-funded, so he can do and say what he pleases. But are we really aware of what the rest of the GOP is even doing or what they support? They have to stay quiet in order to keep their funding. We should be afraid of a group of people who do not realize that Planned Parenthood helps women or that gay marriage is constitutional. We should fear a group that many of us know little about. While I do not agree with a lot found in the Salon article, it does make a good point about the rest of the GOP and their hidden stances that get overlooked. “The nativist movement that Trump has given energy to may be much more dangerous than Trump himself—but when compared to the GOP at large, Trump is only a minor villain to progress.”
I will be voting blue this election to make a stance against bigotry and backwards rhetoric coming out of the mouths of America’s politicians. I will be voting blue so that "the man who seems to be the perfect manifestation of a stereotypical American—a loud, obnoxious buffoon” has a run for his money.
You can find me sporting my “IDK NOT TRUMP THO 2016” T-shirt…
