Ben Hsu

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Blog · Essay · Nonfiction

VOTE GODDAMN IT!

I’d like to talk to my more conservative/centrist friends. Namely: what does it mean to be a conservative and specifically a Republican. I’ve been doing a bit of hunting and fact gathering, as well as searching my memory for the good ole fashion values my school system taught while I was growing up, and I think I’ve got a handle on it.

 

1. You put the foremost importance on individual rights.

Which is fantastic, I actually agree with you on a fundamental level.  A government (any government) should only interfere with its individual citizens the minimum amount necessary to maintain the functioning of the society which formed the government. Or in layman’s terms, “If we’re all getting along fine, Uncle Sam can fuck right off.”

 

2. You believe in personal responsibility.

Great! I also think people should take responsibility for their actions. It’s so easy to blame other people for your own failures. But real mental and emotional growth involves asking yourself if there’s anything YOU could have done to avert a crisis, being strong enough to admit there was, and make an effort to change yourself in the future.

 

3. You want fiscal responsibility.

Agreed, as long as you don’t reach hoarding levels, conservation of resources (including, and especially money) is both a responsible and wise thing to do.

 

4. You stand for traditional moral values.

Surprisingly, you have my full support. I’m not a Christian, but I looked at some of the rules in the Bible and I can really get behind them. Don’t kill people. Don’t steal. Don’t lie. Don’t cheat. Do unto others as you would have done unto you. Love thy neighbor. Turn the other cheek. Hate the sin, but love the sinner. All of this is so close to my own moral philosophy it’s hard for me to not agree with you.

 

I’m basically one of you, I was raised by republican parents, at my core I still believe in republican values.

By now you’re asking, “why are they writing this article?” Because for the last decade of elections I’ve had to vote Democrat, and this election I’m urging you, pleading with you, to do the same. As I pointed out in a previous article, the GOP is currently voting in Nazi, rapists, liars, and thieves. People whom, I hope we can all agree, are bad people. And it’s not enough anymore stand by and say, “well, I don’t like either party,” or, “well, my representative isn’t one of those guys.” The crazies have taken over the GOP, and galvanized it under a banner of hatred. As much as I’d like to take a stand by voting Green, or Libertarian, I can’t, I haven’t been able to do that since 2008. Now, you can’t either, you have to fight them, and that means you have to throw your lot in with the only people that stand a chance at opposing them: the Democrats. Like it or not, American politics is run on a two party system, which means the very act of not voting for one side is basically giving the opposite side a vote; especially now that one side has formed a united front around the idea of hatred. It’s like if Superman and Lex Luther were fighting, and then Darkseid showed up. Superman and Lex don’t have to like each other, but considering Darkseid wants to literally destroy all life in the universe, they should probably put their differences aside and work together until Darkseid is dealt with.

So, we can argue about what reasonable gun control laws are, and whether the welfare state, or single payer healthcare are necessary. But we need to do it AFTER the crazies are out of power. After I don’t have to worry about my right to exist as a nonbinary, gender fluid person. After I’m not lying awake, wondering if my parents or my citizenship will be revoked because they’re immigrants, and I am a child of immigrants. After I’m not afraid to walk around at night because for the first time in my life, people are brave enough to yell out racist slurs at me, and demand I “go home” for “taking their jobs.” That’s why I have been and will be voting Democrat. And if you really believe in Republican values, you’ll vote Democrat this election, or you’re basically telling the world you’re okay with the closet thing we have to biblical evil being in power.

Blog · Essay · Nonfiction

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