I’m an American. I live and go to school in Canada. Pretty much every person who has found out that I’m American in the past two months has asked me who I’m voting for. Both candidates have their fair share of issues, and there are reasons to or not to vote for both candidates.
But here’s the thing: it’s none of your business who I vote for or support!
Remember that one kid in school who always made a point to ask you what your mark was on the last exam? And you would always smile uncomfortably and tell them your grade, and then they would either belittle you because they did better than you or they would feel bad because you did better than them? (I would always smile and say that I was “happy with my mark” whether I was or not.)
Asking who I’m voting for is the exact same thing. It makes both of us uncomfortable, especially if you disagree with my choice. And quite frankly, in this election, it’s like choosing whether or not you will stick your finger in the top socket or the bottom socket — either way, you’re going to get electrocuted.
I’m sick of seeing Internet posts that say “if you vote for candidate A, you hate women!” or “If you vote for candidate B, you’re a hypocrite!” Don’t guilt people for exercising their legal right to vote. It is their choice, and their decision, and trying to use persuasive rhetoric to make people feel bad or dumb or as though they’re the reason for the demise of America because of who they choose to vote for is pretty pathetic.
Let’s all agree that this election is a rollercoaster, for sure. And let’s remember that most news sources are biased, for or against one side or another, so try to take the information that you receive with a grain of salt. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “Not everything you read on the Internet is true.” And finally, let’s remember that we’re all human, we’re all people. Let’s treat each other with respect during (and after) this election.