Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this post are those of the author and do not represent the views of Babble.
“I HATE libertarians.”
“When will third-party voters learn?”
“Third-party voters are dead to me.”
“Trump was elected president because of the damn third-party voters! #libertarianssuck #flashbackto2000”
“Third-party voters, YOU’RE GROSS!”
These are all actual statements from “friends” I’ve either directly or indirectly received over the past 48 hours. I was disgusted at the hatred that filled my newsfeed Tuesday night and Wednesday morning toward Trump voters, but to be honest, I expected it.
I know a lot of people are appalled by Trump’s misogynistic language, elitist attitude, past discretions, and general behavior. I know the very thought of anyone voting for him had to be baffling and disheartening to many, to say the least. Believe me, I was just as shocked as Hillary supporters to see him pulling ahead as we watched the votes roll in Tuesday night. I went to bed before Trump was officially president-elect, but still well ahead of Hillary. Even then I fully anticipated the social media outrage.
What I didn’t anticipate was the amount of hate directed at third-party voters, such as myself.
I made a conscious decision to vote for Gary Johnson, not just because I identify as a libertarian and believe in his policies, but because I knew I couldn’t vote for Trump or Hillary with a clean conscience. Since I was a young child, to be President of the United States has — in my mind — been a role of dignity, honor, and grace. Sure, as I grew older I saw a few presidents who didn’t exactly fulfill their duties with a whole lot of integrity, but in every election, I always hope to find a man or woman to vote for that I can honestly respect.
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Given the accusations against Hillary and how dirty the Clinton’s track record reportedly is, and knowing full well the kind of man Trump is, I couldn’t bring myself to vote for either candidate. My third-party vote was not a vote against Hillary or against Trump, as most people assume; it was a vote backed by research for Gary Johnson and his policies.
But I also want to make one thing clear: My third-party vote did not elect Trump. Trump votes elected Trump.
I know many third-party voters who, if they had to choose between the two, would have voted for Trump over Hillary. I would not have voted for Trump if my life depended on it. But now that he’s our president-elect, I support him. And you should, too.
I don’t support racism, bigotry, a white elitist attitude, misogyny, or anything else Trump voters have been accused of supporting, but I am willing to have an open mind and hope for the best.
Yes, Trump has said things about women, people of color, immigrants, and the LBGTQ community that many of us perceive as hateful. His comments feel especially personal to those of us who exist within the context of these classifications. But so many of my friends, who I believe are genuine, kind, and loving human beings, have said things over the past 48 hours to me (and other third-party voters) that I perceive as hateful. And that feels personal, too.
Am I disappointed and hurt? Absolutely. Am I going to write them off as being horrible human beings because of it? No. I don’t believe Trump deserves to be written off either. I’m willing to give him a chance because maybe, just maybe, like my friends who are hurting and angry and placing the blame on me, he’s not actually a despicable human being.
I have read countless Facebook posts from friends (mostly women) who voted for Trump and made it perfectly clear that they didn’t vote for him but rather the people behind him and the policies and fresh perspective he has promised our county. They don’t deserve to be called racist, women-haters, bigots, or ignorant. They are people who are hoping for a change. They don’t deserve hate because of their hope.
I voted for Johnson because I too am hoping for a change. Many people may think it’s a naïve perspective, but I wholeheartedly believe that the two-party system we have is not working. The majority of Americans don’t fit into one of two boxes and we don’t need to be voting for boxes that we can’t fit in. As Obama said himself in his post-election speech this week, “We zig and we zag.” But I believe getting rid of a two-party system would bridge the gaps between the zigs and the zags.
I voted for a change. We all voted for change. We just have different ideas of what that change should look like. And the only way we are going to effectively work toward change is if we work together. The election is over, Trump will be president, but our choice is not gone. We can choose to unite with our fellow Americans, one human being to another, in order to repair the damage this election has done to our kinship. Or we can choose to stay bitter, hateful, and continue to tear this country apart.
I didn’t elect Trump with my third-party vote, but I’m choosing to move forward with an open mind, hopeful heart, and love for my fellow Americans.
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