The Unexpected Conflicts of Going Green Party
My family has been Democrat for years. Since I'm not one to simply follow a crowd without my own reason, I researched to confirm that it was for me. Most people will vote for the candidate that matches their family's historical voting pattern without doing any soul-searching. It's like religion.
Where's their individual identity?
In high school, I was given an assignment to analyze both sides. Maybe, that's why I chose to make sure that I was Democrat. I realized that both sides say they're for identical ideas, but I could only see Democrats doing it, publicly.
At least, that was the impression that I was under.
When I first found out that Hillary was running for 2016, I thought, Oh, I should support her. Meanwhile, I didn't realize how little I knew about her. Like many, I thought that what I had heard was the same as facts. I should have researched.
To my surprise, I saw a friend posting articles on Bernie Sanders, instead. After some investigating, I was intrigued. It didn't take long before I realized that Bernie was president material while Hillary was all talk. I began learning that certain friends of mine had been right about the DNC having little difference from the RNC.
I will always appreciate Bernie for inspiring me to question everything; however, his endorsement for Hillary couldn’t convince me to return to blind voting. The problem is that some people were too easily lead to Hillary out of fear of what we currently have. Those like me always understood the risks of a Trump presidency. Third party voters aren't stupid, like some think. At the same time, we aren't foolish enough to believe that Hillary would have kept us any safer. She's merely a different kind of dangerous—an experienced version.
After Hillary rigged the primaries, and "won" the nomination, I found out about Jill Stein.
Many Bernie supporters flocked to Jill. I did my research on her. She and Bernie could have worked together, they're so similar. In fact, she has tried to work with him for years. The difference is that Jill refuses to run within the two party system to get votes. She fights for not only the same values as Bernie but for more party options.
Even in 2016, we're supposed to willingly accept voting for either A or B—even while knowing both sides lead to the same place?
Researching Claims Against Jill
I used to research Republican values; therefore, as rumors came up about Jill, I looked into them. If she turned out to be bad, I'd have to stop supporting her.
"Anti-Vax"
Dr. Stein has in writing and in interviews exactly how she feels about vaccines. Maybe, if I explain it differently it will make sense to those continuing to buy into the pathetic smear attempts.
Jill is a doctor. Like Bernie, she knows that American healthcare is about profit instead of cures, but Jill doesn't take that route herself; therefore, she discusses how, while people need their regular vaccines, there is a push for excessive unnecessary vaccines that will only benefit Big Pharma; therefore, Jill wants more research into each new vaccine before it's released. Is it truly going to save lives, or is it all for the gain of Big Pharma? Furthermore, the rumor that she believes in a link between vaccinations and autism is untrue. Of course, it won't stop the rumors.
Does that clear things up, or does this still qualify her as “anti-vax?”
Alternative Medicines
Jill is for alternative medicine. Shocking! Some doctors are. Does this make her nuts? No. She never said to replace prescriptions with alternatives—only to add them as an option.
Would this negatively affect those who do not wish to try alternative medication? No. It's like all those protesters claiming that legalizing gay marriage would affect straight marriage. That’s untrue.
So, I continue to support Jill, and the Greens.
Democrats Against Greens
I never spoke down to Democrats, or forced my opinion when one told me that they were going to vote for Hillary; however, any time that I saw a fellow Jill supporter voice their desire to vote according to their conscious, they were met with weak reasons as to why they "need" to vote for Hillary, instead. Well, unfortunately for all stubborn Democrats, it never changed our minds, and America hates both mainstream options.
When you have a choice between horrendous and more horrendous, or you could choose "the road less traveled by" with practically identical ideas to Bernie's to help not only yourself but everyone, that's the road you choose because it's the right thing to do.
Political Hypocrisy
Trying to have casual conversations with Democrats about what is wrong with this country, such as the pipelines, leads to arguments, as well. They agree that the pipeline is wrong, but once there is mention that Hillary supports it because she profits from it—exactly like Trump—they lose their minds. I'm continuing to ask why they react this way? If they can agree that she's corrupt, and they "voted for her to avoid Trump," then what is the harm in talking about what makes her this way?
If Jill suddenly started investing in the pipeline, I would stop supporting her; fortunately, had it not been for Jill, I wouldn't have known about what was going on, months before public awareness. She has been actively fighting it since the beginning. Where was Hillary? Where was Obama?
Again, this information only adds to more reason why Jill is not president material compared to Hillary with her message that she “isn’t Trump.”—that's sarcasm.
Vague Political Talk Creates Direct Assumptions
To speak against Hillary implies that I voted for Trump. To speak against Trump causes Hillary supporters to applaud my apparent love for her; however, if I were to voice my real political affiliation, both sides would unleash their rage and insults as though third party voters are genuinely to blame for the dilemma.
No, don't blame the real problem—the two money-machines, Trump and Hillary—who wasted time on television during the debates making uninformed voters believe that one was better than the other. Instead, project those feelings of insecurity onto third party voters for taking the time to find out if anyone represents American values.
If it weren't for Jill, I don't know that I would have voted for anyone by default. This is why so few did, and I don’t blame those people.
So, let me apologize for voting with my heart instead of with my fear, anger, and ignorance like many others who tried to shame me into doing the same.
How dare I want America to never again have to choose between two completely immoral candidates. I stupidly voted for someone who wants the same things as Bernie—you know, the candidate who would have won, had Hillary not rigged the primary, because he inspired every political side, including those who hadn’t voted in years, to vote for him.
How selfish of me to vote for single-payer healthcare, relieving student loan debt, raising the minimum wage to $15, making sure that our planet has clean resources, and so on.
I voted for a true activist, like Bernie, instead of someone who sort of says they’ll do it, but never will, so that people will vote for them. I chose not to vote for another profit-driven politician, like Hillary—so smug during her campaign that she never bothered to do the work to prove to all those poor souls dedicated to her, or to the Bernie supporters she screwed over, that her rehearsed words had meaning.
I'm sorry that I did not feel compelled to vote for someone who everyone knows privately does everything in reverse of what she preaches in public: Said single-payer will "never happen," doesn't care about other women, minorities, low-wage workers (min. wage of a whopping $12/hr), insulted the Bernie supporters who outnumbered her own, known to support fracking, supported the wars, supports deportation, and more.
I'm the one without morals.
Jill Didn't Reach 5%. Now, What?
I am sure the Dems say, "Well, it's over. Time to return to our side."
Not so fast.
Originally, I was intending to vote for another Democrat as long as their values were decent, but lately I can’t say that I would vote blue, even if they were like Bernie. The DNC has shown time and time again that all it’ll ever do with someone like that is prevent those ideas from ever becoming a reality.
America deserves better.
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