I've kept mostly quiet about the presidential election this year. There is no doubt that everyone knows who I will support and where my political leanings lie. This is by no means meant to be the most informed article about the upcoming election but instead is about my personal sadness about the direction the USA has been heading in terms of social issues.
Reading the news, polls, debates, and friend's facebook opinions, I find myself falling further and further in despair about the state of my country. The fact that there is a chance that such a conservative, bigoted candidate has a chance of becoming president is just mind boggling to me.
There has been a lot of talk about Mitt Romney, and the Republican Party on the whole, taking huge steps backwards about women's rights. Politicians have tried to make decisions about women's ability to choose what to do with their bodies as well as what opportunities women have in terms of their own sexual health. Mitt Romney has made comments in debates about women needing flexible working hours so they are able to cook dinner and take care of the children. It is astounding that we are in the year 2012 and our nations leaders are still trying to keep women in the kitchen and popping out children.
In regards to LGBT rights and same-sex marriage Mitt Romney's website says "As president, Mitt will not only appoint an Attorney General who will defend the Defence of Marriage Act – a bipartisan law passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton – but he will also champion a Federal Marriage Amendment to the Constitution defining marriage as between one man and one woman." Mitt Romney on his values These sort of comments make me really upset on a personal level as well as deeply sad for my country. Not only does Mitt Romney want to defend DOMA (as of course marriage needs to be defended from the gays) he wants to make sure that discrimination is written into the FEDERAL constitution. The same constitution that was made in the name of freedom. This man could be the president of the United States of America. My heart is breaking.
How is Ann Coulter allowed in our media? How could she possibly have such a huge following? I can't say anything more to this without getting insanely angry but please take a look at these articles which give me a little bit of hope. A Special Olympian's response to Ann Coulter's tweet Ann Coulter's response to National Coming Out Day
In addition to the presidential election, there are also of course state elections. Four states will have same-sex marriage on the ballots. Three of these (Maine, Washington, and Maryland) are hoping for marriage equality and the fourth (Minnesota) is trying to stop a marriage ban from being written into the state constitution. These state ballots are so important because state by state we will win this. One day our federal government will have to stand up and say that the LGBT community deserve equal rights... and realize how behind the times the USA is compared to so many countries around the world. Please check out this blog who are campaigning on behalf of these four states. Also, this article by Buzzfeed.
Reading these stories and watching the videos makes me so incredibly emotional. It may be closed minded of me but I CANNOT understand how people do not believe that every person deserves equal rights. My heart physically hurts to think of so many couples who are not allowed to visit their partner in the hospital, struggle for rights to benefits, who are separated because of lack of immigration rights.... so many rights. Although this wasn't the life I would have originally chose for myself I am so thankful to be living in a country where I have the same rights as straight couples, so thankful.
Experiencing an election from outside of the USA is different than the constant immersion of political ads, news, opinions, and discussion. Living outside of the the United States, or even travelling abroad, gives you perspective. It shows you how the US and Americans are seen by the rest of the world. It also shows how different countries and cultures work and run and you are able to see what works better or worse or just differently. When speaking to to my British friends and colleagues about LGBT rights, women's rights, welfare initiatives, health care, or a plethora of other issues they are astounded about how far behind the US really is in so many ways. The USA was always known to be the front runner, pushing boundaries, the country of opportunities but this is changing.
I know this is a jumble of thoughts but these are emotional topics. People who say politics are not interesting or voting won't change anything or think that the next president, governor, or senator will not make a difference to your lives, think again. Our government is constantly shaping social issues that effect each and every one of our daily lives.
Vote. Be Active. Learn. Speak Up.
