As the Pennsylvania primaries just came to a close, we decided to take a deeper look into why people vote the way that they do. When we all sat down and spoke about the way that people are voting, we realized that we heard a few different things around campus that we found alarming.
One question came up that we do not agree with, “Why wouldn’t women want to vote for Hillary Clinton? She’s a woman, too.”
We not only found just the statement to be alarming, but the fact that we believe that it promotes sexism, as well.
According to a study by Pew Research Center, 61 percent of white Democratic women stated that there was a good chance that they would vote for Clinton. On the other hand, 43 percent of white Democratic men were giving her their support. There was a gender gap present.
“Women should help other women, so women should vote for Clinton.” Why would a woman vote for Hillary Clinton just because she is also a female and thinks that she needs “help?” Why do women need to always feel as if they have to empower other women just because they are of equal gender? If we do not believe in the views of Clinton and we are women, then we will not vote for her. It is as simple as that.
“I voted for Barack Obama because he is African American and because I am, too.” We were all proud to see an African American president in office the past few years. It was a historical milestone that will not be forgotten. But, did we vote for him simply because of his race? Why should someone be elected into office simply because of the color of their skin, whether they are African American or white? It is not the color of one’s skin that matters in the presidential election, or their ethnicity period, for that matter. What matters to us is their views, previous experience and the way that they present themselves.
It takes us back to a lesson that we learned back in elementary school. Do not judge a book by its cover. If we do not judge another human by their cover, but by the contents of the pages that make up their lives, then why would we vote for president simply because of their gender or ethnicity?
It is our civil duty to vote and it is also our duty to vote for who we believe will be the best leader of our country. We should not vote for someone just because of their gender, race, wealth or other contributing factors. We should vote the individual whose values align with our own and who we truly trust to lead the country in a direction that we would like to see.
What matters most is the candidates’ views on important topics that impact our society and how they envision the future for our country. That is what should be influencing our vote. Period.
