Last September, I turned eighteen. Being an adult is great; now I can buy scratch tickets, serve alcohol in restaurants, and I could even rent my own text books, (RIP to my wallet.) But the coming-of-age privilege I've been looking forward to since I was eleven is voting.
When this season's election season started to heat up I found myself very sorely discouraged. In terms of security, I lean more conservatively. I think the process to become an American citizen should be difficult and that if you are here illegally, the American government has the right to punish you. That being said, it should not be impossible to become a U.S. citizen. In other areas, however, I feel that I am very liberal. I am pro-choice, have always stood up for same-sex marriage, and believe that marijuana should be legalized, not just decriminalized.
I'm not naive; I knew that it was very unlikely that a candidate with my exact views would be on the ballot. I did not think, however, that I would be faced to choose between a liar and a bigot. I am trying to be fair and have been watching both the Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention. I must confess: I'm not impressed by either.
Besides the conventions, I have tried to record debates and news conferences whenever possible. And yet, I still haven't figured out which politician I dislike most. It seems as if Trump has gone after everyone from women to the disabled to immigrants.
I will be voting this November, for the first time ever, and I will be choosing the candidate is "less evil" than the other. As of right now, I don't know who I'm voting for, and I feel like many of my peers feel the same way. While Clinton seems to think she has the votes of the students and Sanders' supporters, Trump is putting up a fight for the American youth. The DNC started on a bad foot for the candidate when the Vermonter's supporters were repeatedly asked to quiet, being told that "you are being ridiculous" by Sarah Silverman and then walking out, even after Sanders pleaded with them to stand against Trump.
So no, I'm not sure who I'm voting for in this, my very first, election. I don't like the fact that I have to pick between "the lesser of two evils." While I know I don't stand for all of America, I feel as if I stand for a large chunk of Americans when I say the America deserves better than "Crooked Hillary" and a "loose cannon."
