BY MARGO BORDERS, CONTRIBUTOR
I’m choosing to vote for Hillary Clinton for a number of reasons. Her plans once elected and her stances on major issues facing U.S. citizens align with one general idea that I hold strongly. She believes and works to ensure that every citizen, no matter the race, sexuality, gender, age and socioeconomic status deserves to be respected, represented and given an equal chance in the United States.
Specifically, Hillary’s policy reforms and plans as president show just how she will work for all citizens. Hillary supports immigration reform, so that more hardworking and deserving immigrants are able to become legal citizens of the U.S.
She supports the idea that a woman is in control of her own body and that it is not the government’s business what she chooses to do with it.
Hillary stands for stricter gun laws, so that people using guns in violent ways don’t have as easy access as they do currently.
She wants to restore relationships with foreign nations because the most efficient way to stop war and terrorist groups is to work together.
She believes that a tax reform is necessary because the current taxing system allows millionaires to get out of paying their taxes and middle-class people are unfairly making up for it.
Hillary wants to raise minimum wage so people working full time don’t suffer from poverty and people have more opportunities to get ahead.
She believes that we are imprisoning far too many people for petty crimes instead of focusing on criminals who are committing more serious crimes. Hillary wants to focus on reforming and educating law enforcement in order to end mass incarceration.
The former secretary of state believes in climate change, opposed to other candidates who deny it, and plans to make investments to power the U.S. with renewable energy.
Education is important to Hillary, and she plans to work to allow everyone, regardless of where they live, to gain a quality education. In short, Hillary Clinton embodies values that are imperative for me to see in a president.
Besides her political beliefs, there is another reason that I am choosing to vote for Hillary Clinton. Our country cannot afford for Donald Trump to win this election. Donald has shown time and time again that he not only lacks political knowledge, but that he lacks ethical knowledge. The nation has seen how consistently throughout his lifetime he has flip-flopped on policy stances, he has talked about women in disgusting and demeaning ways and he has made stereotypical and racist statements about people of color. He is so concerned with pleasing right-wing conservatives that he can’t see that the policies he claims will “Make America Great Again” are policies that will divide this nation further apart.
As a woman, it’s exciting to see Hillary Clinton become the first woman major-party nominee. She is smart, strong and works for everyone. However, it’s also terrifying to see that the candidate she is running against actually has significant support. This is not an election that can afford to be ignored or sat out on. Every single vote matters, which is why mine will be for Hillary Clinton.