The Modern Disrepair of Our Union

11:35 November 07, 2016

So I’m the guy that hates basically every politician. They sit on their lofty perch, making laws not for the people, but for the steady increase of their own pockets. Maybe it stems from my general belief of never totally conforming to the wills of others. The other part of that is to always question authority. Either way, for years I’ve thought our world was doomed.

It’s with those things in mind that I’ve been watching our sh*t show of an election this year. Generally, I’m terrified. Bernie was decent enough, sure, but he still represents a system I truly believe needs to be dismantled at any chance, so we can readily rebuild and make the country a better place. Full disclosure here, I greatly dislike both candidates, although the degree of feelings is quite varied.

One side focuses on a blonde woman who’s probably a liar and a cheat, and who generally isn’t regarded as being a pleasant person. I certainly believe some of all the reports that have come up, but at the end of the day, I think anyone is better than an orange haired bag of dog poop. These opinions in no way reflect what this magazine thinks. They’re simply giving me a platform to convey how much I’ve been worried about this election.

I’m scared. And in moments that fear is palpable. For weeks and months now I’ve kept track of all the angles, news stories, and varied lies from both sides. Inside I weep for our country. Many people chose to see it a certain way, while others fiercely oppose the others views. This is ultimately good for democracy I believe. Violence is in no way tolerable in our modern age, which is where the troublesome thought of a Trump presidency comes to light.

As a person with special needs, it’s utterly repulsive that a person can say things targeted at special needs people. He’s also threatened violence, called for mass deportations, and various other things. To think this man has gotten as far as he has is unfathomable to me. Sure Clinton naysayers will say, “She killed people at Benghazi,” or “she destroyed emails,” blah blah blah. And there is some truth in both of those things.

Here’s the thing, though: All Presidents have killed to ultimately protect what they thought was the safety of our nation. That’s not likely to change. Noam Chomsky once said that basically if every post-world war two president were held to the laws set after the war at Nuremberg, then they would all be hung. This is true and valid in a myriad of ways, but it’s not quite as simple as that. Our nation and the nations of the world continually have to make horrible decisions that everyone then gets to be Monday morning quarterback on. It’s an incredibly hard job. Certainly not one I’d ever be remotely interested in.

At the end of the day on Tuesday though, we will have a new President, one not quite as awful as the other one (depending on who you talk to). It’s our right as Americans to vote whichever way we decide, but ultimately it’s those same people who have to think about the future growth of our nation. I early voted last Tuesday, essentially just to be done with as John Oliver calls it, “The great election dumpster abortion fire of 2016.” Only time will tell if we made the right choice, but ultimately I still believe we as a nation can overcome anything.

Lastly, its time as a nation to stop listening and digesting the opinions of others as facts. At this point, we as a nation refuse to see the worth in anything else than what we think. It’s an incredibly closed minded view and a thought process that dominates both huge Hilary supporters as well as those on Trump’s side. Yes, we all have different views. It’s a valuable tool to grow as a nation. I know people on both sides who simply despise anyone who isn’t on the same side. That’s the wrong way to live and to think.

We as a (somewhat) free nation need to stop looking beyond our vast differences and circumstances and learn to love another. For me, there’s no other way. If more people took the time to judge a person based on if they’re interesting to talk to as opposed to “Oh he likes Donald/Hilary, he must be an idiot,” we’d be far better off. I’ve seen plenty of this in the past year, and it not only hinders our growth and understanding of different opinions (even if we don’t agree) but it creates a mentality of segregation that the various news networks can then pander to. That’s dangerous, for all Clinton and Trump supporters alike. It’s our civic duty and right to explain our positions, but it’s ultimately also our job as citizens of the world to not judge others by who they vote for. Life is too short. I wish every reader of this the best, and to also urge them to vote how they feel, regardless of the article you just read. 

Thank You, and Good Night.

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