My entire family voted for Trump except me
Surprise, mom!
Americans either woke up or lost sleep to the news that Donald Trump is the winner of the 2016 presidential election. For some, this may be exactly what they wanted, but it’s quite the opposite for me. I am terrified for many reasons.
Don’t get me wrong, I honestly didn’t think either candidate was spectacular. But there are things about Trump — about both his campaign and him as a person — that I simply could not reconcile.
My family, on the other hand, did not see the issues I had with voting for Trump when they cast their ballots.
My family says that going to college made me side with Hillary Clinton. They say that I’m turning into a liberal because of my peers. I hate that these are the assumptions that surround me. My views on this election were based on who I felt could best run our country as a whole, and that was not Trump. Aside from my late father, I am the first person from my household to go away to a four year college.
When I have visited home in the past year and the subject of politics has come up, it has not been good. And that is the problem — my parents’ generation’s fear of their children becoming “liberals” just because they go off to college. I have many friends in college who identify as Republican and conservative, so clearly college is not to “blame” for my views.
More than half of our country sided with a man who has a history of blatant racism. A man who has as of yet made no plans to help the LGBTQ community. A man who has made belittling remarks made about people with disabilities, and has been accused of sexual assault.
I don’t believe that my family members have a hatred toward the LGBTQ community, but most of us were raised Catholic. While I was excited about the 2015 news of gay marriage being legal across the country, some of my family members were not as eager to share in my happiness. As for those with disabilities and sexual assault victims, my family has a heart. They are not animals who use ‘the R-word’ to refer to people acting a certain way.
I came from a mostly white town and high school, so coming to college was my first taste of diversity and I’m so happy to have had the chance to be around so many wonderful people who are different than I am in more ways than just the color of their skin.
From what I have seen, many people from my small Ohio town voted for Trump. But I find it hard to believe that many around my age did so completely on their own beliefs and not just because their parents were voting for him. Because I used to think that way, as well. That who my parents vote for would be who I would vote for, until this election.
But what is amazing to me is if millennials were the only votes to count, we would have a different president. To me, this speaks volumes. My generation was fighting for change while most those above me may have just set us back 100 years.
I am not one to belittle someone based on their choices and because of my family voting primarily for Donald Trump, I have heard their reasons and some make sense. The emails, Benghazi, Bill Clinton having an affair and Hillary standing loyally by his side. But for me, it was not enough to give him my vote. I am glad that others my age agreed with this and hope that we continue to fight for change. We cannot see this as a set back, but as opportunity to continue our fight.
My final hope is that our parents and grandparents can open up their hearts to those who will be gravely effected by this turn out. I hope that they can find a way to find ways to fight for LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive rights, the rights of immigrants and equal pay for everyone.
Trump’s presidency may compromise the rights I have to my own body, which, shockingly enough, is a pretty big deal to me. I have always been pro-choice and understand that abortion is not the only option, but it should never be off the table. Many women like me are afraid of this fear becoming a reality under Trump as president.
This is America, and we still have a voice. Get out there and use it for what you believe in.