We aren’t so different, you and I

By KELLY O’GRADY

When asked whom you’re voting for in the upcoming election, if you say Donald Trump, you most likely get looked at like you have two heads. The response you get is, “Why? Are you crazy? How could you support him?” I have experienced this multiple times, even in class. It is truly not fair. I am accepting of other’s political views, so why should I get grilled about mine?

There is headline after headline of controversial issues Donald Trump has instigated and contributed to. That being said, do I support everything he says and does? Of course not, and most of his supporters do not either.

But the same goes for Hillary Clinton. I do not know a single person who can say they agree with her use of a personal email for thousands of official, classified communications, which is clearly illegal and put our national security at risk.

There is also the fact that four Americans died on Hillary’s watch due to her ignoring the warning that the security situation was deteriorating and that U.S. facilities and personnel were at risk in Benghazi. While I understand that neither candidate is perfect, I choose to side with the one who makes controversial statements rather that the one whom I do not trust.

However, I am sick and tired of all the stereotyping that goes along with voting for Trump. I am truly offended that people stereotype Trump’s supporters as racist, homophobic, sexist and crazy. These ideas are everywhere, even in the media.

For example, at a show in Tampa, Florida, Amy Schumer degraded a fan who is a Trump supporter by saying, “That was just really cool to hear from one guy, who doesn’t seem like a psychopath, why he’d want to vote for that orange, sexual assaulting, fake college starting, monster.”

I will not be stereotyped as a psychopath by this comedian for having my own political opinions. Through her words, Schumer is promoting misconceptions about millions of Americans. And when she did finally apologize, she apologized for what she said about Trump, not even about how she implied that people voting for him are psychopaths.

Another outrageous example of this is an article written by Max Ehrenfreund in the Washington Post titled, “I asked psychologists to analyze Trump supporters. This is what I learned.”

The article then goes on to say, “From a psychological perspective, though, the people backing Trump are perfectly normal.” Why yes, thank you, I know I am a normal, functioning human being and I did not need you to tell me. It is absurd that people can be this ignorant.

I believe political views should not determine your personal character. No, I do not agree with all the things Trump says, but I would feel safer with him as a president. I am a very accepting person; I believe you should be able love who you want to love, all beings are created equal, women deserve greater respect and that the state of our environment matters. I am not an average far right-winged conservative.

However, I am tired of people judging my character incorrectly because of which candidate I choose to support. We need to stop the stereotyping and start respecting our peers.