Brain Drippings

My view on the election -- Take One

In America, we are getting ready to come upon an interesting election. On the one hand, we have the first woman President – which if you think about it is weird, because most first world countries have already had a woman leader. On the other hand, we have Donald Trump.

I don’t know if Hillary Clinton is the best woman for the job. I do know that because of her my daughter had the tools necessary to go to school and graduate with a high school diploma (there are no provisions for her in college though). I feel that Hillary was instrumental in making fair wages and medical insurance for all a reality (not that anyone appreciates it – insurance companies have taken advantage of the fact that people have to buy their services and forcing minimum wage to climb causes small businesses to fail).

Here is my problem with the whole situation. Neither Hillary Clinton nor Donald Trump have served the military, however we are going to place them in charge of the United States Armed Forces. Donald has actually bragged about how he got out of serving and how he knows more that the generals do. Hillary at least respects the fact that we are fighting a war against an enemy that isn’t playing by conventional rules, although I don’t think even she really understand it.

People who support Donald Trump will say that the “crooked media” is spreading lies. However, let’s get a few facts straight:
Donald Trump avoided the Vietnam daft five times: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/02/us/politics/donald-trump-draft-record.html?_r=...

Trump wants to trash any progress we have made toward women’s rights.

He wants to ban abortion. Now I know what you might think. This goes against your religion. But let’s think about this rationally for just a moment. You have a right to say what happens to your body when you are dead. You have a right to say what happens to your body when you are alive. Why is it that you have no rights to say what happens to your body when you are pregnant? I am not going to debate if a fetus is alive or not. I have five children because I am pro-choice and I chose to have them. But I feel that if a fetus cannot live on its own outside the womb then it is up the mother to decide whether or not she can carry it. And it isn’t anyone else’s business.

Trump wants to repeal affordable care.

Trump wants to close Planned Parenthood which provided low and no cost health care, not just for family planning but for cancer screenings, for millions of Americans each year.

Trump and Mike Pence want to reverse Roe VS Wade. Once again infringing on women’s rights.

Hillary Clinton has been involved with politics long before she married Bill Clinton. And I know that isn’t always a selling point. But, Trump’s involvement in politics is buying politicians so he can get something done. How is that experience with national concerns?

How is he going to “Make American great again?” By repealing rights? By building walls? By causing hate?
Personally, Trump wants to take away my rights. My right to decide what happens to my body. My right to marry my partner. My son’s rights as FTM. My rights as a Jew. My fiancés families rights as immigrants.

America is a melting pot. Very few of us are First Nation, most of us have a family history of immigration – Donald is only first generation, my parents are both fourth or fifth. We are comprised of many different ideas, morals, ideologies and belief structures. That is what makes America Great, not some pompous jerk who thinks he knows better than anyone else.

Right now is a scary time. There is a threat out there using a new weapon and we haven’t figured out how to stop it. But scaring people and intimidating them isn’t the way. We have to give each other hope and remind each other that we are better that what we are seeing on TV. News is news because it makes a headline. For every scary story, there are a hundred good ones that will never hit CNN or Fox News.

I am not saying that bad news isn't important. It absolutely is. But good news is important too.



Peace,
ZombeeLuv

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