
Photo courtesy of the Washington Post. I’m not celebrating like these folks, but I will admit that I voted for Trump.
The hate that is being spewed by Hillary supporters following the election is worse than any hate that Donald Trump could possibly have or spread, because it’s being aimed not just at Trump, but at anyone who voted for him. I have remained quiet regarding the election, but it is now time to own my position.
I voted for Donald Trump. I could deny that I voted for Trump, or I could even have voted for Hillary, and my red state’s electoral votes would still have gone to Trump, but I choose to do what’s right based on my own personal and religious views. I am not embarrassed or ashamed to admit it.
First, my disclaimer: Trump was not my preference for the Republication nomination for president – he wasn’t even among my top three choices. In fact, as late as 8 p.m. MST on election night I was ranting about how “we picked the wrong candidate.” I don’t condone his brash and inappropriate behavior, but ultimately, his policies – while not perfect – fit better overall with my views than Hillary’s views do.
I am a white, Christian, heterosexual woman from rural America, but I am not uneducated. I am not against a woman as president, and I am not racist. I don’t have a problem with other religions, but it seems as though some other religions have a problem with mine. Somehow celebrating “Christmas,” for example, has become offensive. We have freedom of religion in this country for all religions – including Christianity.
I choose to fight for the life of the unborn. After birthing three children, I cannot fathom the idea of taking a baby from the womb. I knew within days that I was pregnant; there was life within me. No, I don’t believe a woman has a right to choose what to do with her body – not at the expense of another life. I believe abortion is the first step in a slippery slope of discrediting the importance of life. We are such a self-centered society; it’s all about us. What about “Thy will be done”?
I fight for the life of the unborn with the same passion and tenacity others use to fight for animal welfare. These people claim that animals cannot speak for themselves – neither can unborn babies.
And because of my view on the sanctity of life, I am opposed to the death penalty. I disagree with the Republican party on this issue. The death penalty does not serve as a deterrent for would-be criminals, and it does not save tax dollars. It costs more to defend a death-penalty case from start to execution than it does for lifetime incarceration.
I view same-sex marriage in the same light as pre-marital sex. It is outside of the order that God intended. The history of marriage is long and somewhat twisted, but civil marriages weren’t common place until the 1800s. Prior to that marriage was handled by the church, and perhaps government involvement is the clouding factor with this issue.
Beyond religion, I am a small business owner. Liberal policies in general do not serve small business owners well; employment law, for example, is tedious and difficult. I continually struggle with all of the regulations that I am under, and I periodically consider giving up on my business and going to work for someone else for this very reason. In my opinion, less government and more private enterprise is better in the long run, so I persevere.
I am a supporter of our constitutional right to bear arms. If we infringe upon that right, who gets the power to decide and enforce it? Will these people always be moral and just? Should we let Donald Trump be the keeper of our arms? Sadly, there’s already a national trust issue with our law enforcement officers. It’s just another slippery slope for which history has shown mixed results at best.
With regard to immigration, I don’t agree with either side’s “hard line” response. I am in favor of a path to citizenship for people who are already in this country. I understand that it can be difficult to grant exceptions for some folks while drawing the line for others, but it will be even more difficult to rip families apart. Social justice is more important than consistent, legal justice.
While I am open to revamping our immigration system and perhaps simplifying the process especially for refugees, I am not, however, in favor of opening our borders to all for immigration or trade. If we were to do that, there would be serious financial repercussions, and we could end up in an economic crisis like much of the rest of world. If we want to remain a help to the world as a whole, we must be prudent in our approach.
I am in favor of freedom of the press and free speech – even if that offends someone. I do read and review the opinions of those different than mine. Discussion and dialogue are key to public discourse and ultimately to shifts and changes in public opinion. As much as it pains me, I admit that most Main Stream Media outlets are biased – all we have to do is look at how the media has covered the election to see this – but most certainly and equally so is Fox News biased. One issue I have with Trump is that he attempts to limit the press, which could lead to an interesting battle with the “Fourth Branch of Government.”
I am worried about terrorism in our country and in other parts of the world. Honestly, I’m not sure if Donald Trump will make this better or worse, but Hillary certainly wasn’t going to make it any better.
Hillary Clinton is most certainly part of the establishment, but that wasn’t my only issue with her. Hillary had no real plan for change, and she has her own ethical, moral and legal issues beyond those I mention here. She was not who I would want as our first female president.
And while I can empathize with the emotions Hillary supporters are currently experiencing – mostly due to the shock of the loss, I’m sure – I cannot understand the post-election personal attacks and judgments.
I know that I am not perfect; no one is perfect. We all struggle in this sinful world. That’s because we are all human. I have approached most differences I have with people I love and respect in an agree-to-disagree-and-move-on sort of way. Yet it seems that many of those who have different views than mine – those who view me as unaccepting – may not feel the same about me. Isn’t that the ultimate hypocrisy?