A common defense for voting for Hillary Clinton is, “well, she’s better than Trump,” and she is. In terms of experience, maturity, advocacy and moral human decency, Clinton wins every time. This election’s hate-filled rhetoric and personal shaming has disabled many from seeing Clinton as deserving of the presidency. Instead, supporters and critics alike have resorted to comparing the missteps, scandals and flaws of both Clinton and Donald Trump. In doing so, the nation’s perception of Clinton has been tainted by campaign discourse that highlights only her flaws. Not only is this unfair to Clinton, it is dangerous for all Americans for the next four years.
Clinton is one of the few public officials to break through the glass ceiling working women face. Becoming the first woman to receive a nomination from a major political party in U.S. history was no small feat. She persevered through the bigotry, sexism, hypocrisy, belittlement and public shaming that women in politics are subject to, and she persisted for more than 40 years.
Critics have trolled through decades of Clinton’s career in government, calling her a liar. Yes, Clinton has lied. She did not land under sniper fire in Sarajevo, Bosnia in March 1996. Yes, she has been investigated by the FBI for her use of a private email server, and those are legitimate concerns for voters. However, in citing these issues as the basis for not electing her, and in turn supporting Trump for president, some Americans fail to understand the implications that a Trump presidency would have.
The next president of the United States will have to deal with ISIS, Syria, growing tension with Russia, the national debt, racial tensions, climate change and women’s rights, among other things. With issues as pressing and complicated as these, Clinton is the only candidate with the experience to move this country in the right direction. Serving as a New York senator, first lady and Secretary of State, she knows the nature of foreign policy, inclusion and safety as it pertains to all people in the United States. Trump has suggested punishing women who get abortions, targeting the families of terrorists in order to combat ISIS and has called for the branding of citizens who practice Islam in the name of national security. We can’t afford to have anyone other than Clinton making decisions that will not only affect this nation, but people from all around the world as well.
Clinton’s changing stance on gay marriage over the years is often brought up in an attempt to paint the picture that she is a flip-flopper who can’t be trusted. When Abraham Lincoln first ran for president in 1860, he was against the expansion of slavery, not the institution of slavery itself. By 1863, he called for complete abolition when he delivered the Emancipation Proclamation. Today, Clinton strongly stands for LGBT rights and gay marriage. If we put too much emphasis on the fact that her stance changed over the years, we overlook the long-standing idea that as we evolve as a nation, our leaders must evolve as well.
The claim that Clinton will be a better president than Trump is an understatement and an insult to Clinton’s over 40 years of service to this country. She has her flaws, like every person to ever run for president, but she is the candidate the United States needs to move past the hate and bigotry this election continuously fosters. The alternative to Clinton is an unfathomable Trump presidency.
In a country where many minorities are still unfairly treated and not afforded opportunities that match those of their fellow Americans, we need a president that seeks to promote the rights of all people. In a world where displaced refugees struggle to survive after being forced from their homes for religious or cultural reasons, we need a president who does not promote violence but rather the peaceful coexistence of people from all different backgrounds. In a country that continues to deal with issues of sexual assault and misconduct, we need a president that holds the entire nation to a higher standard of respecting women. We need Hillary Clinton.
It will be a beautiful day in America when girls around the country won’t have to say they want to be the first female president of the U.S. Because of Clinton, there will finally be one to look up to. The White House could use a few colorful pantsuits in the Oval Office.
Several members of the Editorial Board have decided not to endorse either of these presidential candidates.
To read the minority opinion in support of Donald Trump, click here.
