And That's Your Opinion

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to get angry with someone? It's way easier to blame someone else for your problems, for your unhappiness, for your failure, than it is to blame yourself. Because even the people filled with self-loathing tend to treat themselves like a flawless and glorious unicorn, unable to do any wrong, spreading only love and warm feelings.

Other people, though, are the troll under the bridge that snatches the billy goats and eats them. They are disgusting and hateful and mean. They only want to hurt other people and see them suffer.

So, naturally, we get angry with the troll and let the unicorn run free.

We find it easy to call people names, to lash out. When they don't agree with us, they are obviously wrong and sometimes just being difficult. They might be unintelligent or backward or just plain evil. Why can't they just see that they are being so wrong and that we're right?

I heard a woman from India describe this exact situation. She said that it's widespread; she sees it in her own country and throughout all the countries in the West. In her experience, people wear their opinions like a second skin. When you attack their opinion, you have attacked them personally.

But, this is ridiculous. Because we are all different people, we have different experiences. Our different experiences reveal themselves in our different points of view. For example, someone raised with religion will probably see people differently from someone raised without it (i.e., created in the image of God vs. Darwinian evolution). This doesn't mean that either one is stupid or backward; it doesn't mean that they should be angry with each other; it certainly doesn't mean that they should call each other names or perpetuate violence against the other.

People are all people. We can disagree without anger or hatred.

I have not found one person that I 100% agree with on 100% of the issues, 100% of the time. And I never will. Because if I did, that person wouldn't really be a person; it would simply be a carbon-copy clone of me. How boring is that? (Besides the fact that this world should not be cursed with more than one of me in it.)

I am so glad that I haven't found a carbon-copy of me. I disagree with people about Biblical interpretation, about political ideology, about social justice. I have disagreed with people about what color my sweater was on any given day. (Spoiler alert: they were probably right since I'm slightly colorblind.)

Every disagreement I have has taught me something. It has broadened my perspective and allowed me to include something into my worldview that I would not have ever experienced for myself. I have learned and integrated things that I would never want to experience or that I would never have known anything about if I hadn't found a disagreement.

And here's the really crazy part. I have found out that I've been wrong sometimes.

OUTRAGEOUS, right? How could I be wrong about something - about anything - when I am such a magical unicorn and everyone else is a disgusting troll!

Because no one is a unicorn or a troll. We're all just people.

This is something that I think we can easily forget. Just think for a second about the fact that every person that you have ever come across has the same deep and expansive internal life as you. The way that you look out and see other people is the way that others look out and see you. The way you develop feelings or get lost in imagination is the way that others develop feelings or get lost in imagination.

Again, not everything will be exactly the same because we are all different. But, every living person has thoughts and feelings and memories and emotions swirling around inside them - just like you and I do.

It's super weird to think about. But, when I do, when I realize that someone who just told me that I am wrong about something is not so different from me after all, it makes me stop and reevaluate how I'm going to treat them.

Because how would I want to be treated? As a person - or as a troll?

The military has a saying: "Mission first, people always." I don't really know what it means to those that live under it. But, I understand it to mean that the objective is important and completing it is ideal, but, when it comes to sacrificing the mission or the people, people should always come first. Obviously, there will always be casualties in war, but everything should be done to avoid high or devastating casualties.

This applies to interpersonal relationships. My opinion is important; being right is great. I would love to have my ideals succeed - politically and socially. But, my ideals should never be more important than my neighbor. I should never sacrifice courtesy and kindness to "further" my cause. Name-calling and violence are not acceptable. The end of my personal success does not justify the means of hurting other people in the process.

I wouldn't want someone to put their personal goals for society above being kind to me. It's happened; I'd rather it not happen again. But, I have also politely disagreed with others - courtesy and kindness over passion and ideology.

Because we aren't two different camps of unicorns and trolls. We're all just people.

New Year, New World

A lot of people are currently celebrating the death of 2016. For whatever reason, it has been declared the worst year - if not ever, then at least in recent memory. As well as being glad that the last year is over, people are gearing up to make this next year their year. Making resolutions and trying for changes always marks the beginning of each year. Just step into a gym and you'll see for yourself.

But, while many people are making personal goals, some people are making world goals. These people are the leaders of the free world.

I know that after the recent election season, no one wants to really think about politics. Some people are still hurting from loss; others are desperately concerned with the future - and these New Year's resolutions that leaders are making. But, what would be so wrong with world-level changes?

This year, already, America has seen some pretty horrific things. The tragic event in Chicago has shown that some people really should start making - and keeping - their resolutions. And, while personal improvements are always a good place to start, community and national improvements are also necessary. Even if it's something as small as resolving to try harder to make life easier and happier for others.

I'm sure that I won't always agree with what happens this year. I don't always agree with the national leaders. But, for the most part, they try to do what they think is best - what the people think is best. And that's all we can really ask from them.

But, I also think that changes should be made. Nationally, we need to start looking at a bigger picture as opposed to such specific issues. Yes, certain decisions are going to affect very small things, and people will be upset by those things. But, how do those decisions fit into a larger image?

Construction might make things difficult for a short time, but that improved road will be better for the community in the long run. Leadership turnover might be concerning for a bit, but fresh perspective and new determination will be better for the state in the long run. Reform and changes might hurt at first, but efficient and streamlined operation will be better for the nation in the long run.

Change isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes it can be very good; it can be healthy. And, at the very least, change should be given a chance. New ideas need the ability to grow and develop and show what they can really do.

And - let's get real here for a second - change is always scary.

In fact, risk is involved in change. What if it doesn't work? What if it ends in failure? What will that change take away?

But, with all those questions, you can find a positive alternative. What if this really works? What if this ends in success? What will this change give back?

What if this was the change that we needed all along?

Think about Batman - that line about him being the hero that Gotham deserved instead of the one it needed. Change is like that. It's the chance to get what we deserve, not just what we need.

The world needs a change right now. America needs a change.

At this point, change deserves its chance. We might get exactly what we need. Things might actually get better. It might really be a New World for the New Year.

Democracy + Oligarchy + Monarchy = Republic

The American governmental system is an immaculate example of balance. It's symbiotic - each federal branch relies on the other two. They create a beautiful three-part harmony. This beauty, this symmetry, was intentional. Each part was crafted in a specific way, with love and foresight and incredible amounts of thought. Time, effort, and argument were all expended on the development of the United States government.

The Founding Fathers had seen the evils of monarchy. They had just gotten rid of George III and weren't too excited about the idea of heading that direction again. Sure, they could trust George Washington at that moment, but there was no guarantee that his descendants would be good men like he was.

Being educated men, they had read, and therefore knew, a lot of history. They understood the story of Athens. She had been a pure democracy, with as many people as possible making the decisions for the whole. This system saw reversed decisions every few years, unwise expeditions, imprudent spending, and overall waste. It had been called "agreeable anarchy." The Founders knew that they couldn't trust the people to always make good decisions.

But, they were also not fond of oligarchy. It seemed like too much of the same. The few gave rise to aristocrats, and that brought up the idea of feudalism. Although England had already started to come out of that oppressive system, much of Europe was still mired down in it. The few were powerful and rich while the many were poor and disregarded. A country ruled by the personal interests of a small group could never be strong or united.

What other option did the Founders have? These were the prevailing ideas of their day. Their options were severely limited.

Until they decided to push them all together.

Our presidency is our version of monarchy. We have one figurehead, one person in charge. The president is viewed as the most powerful because of the influence that they hold with the rest of the world. But, instead of serving for life and passing the title to an heir, the people would choose (through electors so as to avoid the pitfalls of direct democracy) who they considered the best for the job every four years.

To keep the American monarchy from getting out of control, the snapshot of democracy was set up. This democracy certainly was not all-encompassing then, and it is not all-encompassing now. The snapshot of democracy is found in Congress - in the House of Representatives and the Senate. These men and women represent the rest of the people, getting the government as close to democracy as is safely possible. This snapshot ensures that the interests of the people are heard and looked after, as well as reigning in the power of the presidency.

But, democracy is likely to get out of hand - even if it is only a snapshot. So, the Founders crafted the American oligarchy found in the Supreme Court. This small group of men and women were given the power to look over the laws that democracy was forming, to watch how much power the monarchy was exercising. They served as the last line of defense against political overreach.

The executive, legislative, and judicial branches give us the very best of each type of government. Because there are good things to each. Monarchy gives us a person, a symbol, to follow. Democracy gives us the freedom and the forum to be heard. Oligarchy gives us a stable middle ground between tyranny and anarchy.

But, each type of government has its evils. Monarchy does turn to tyranny, democracy does turn to anarchy, and oligarchy does turn to feudalism.

The Founders wanted to safeguard against those things.

The American government is beautiful. It works because people have to work together. One can't disregard the others; one can't just break away. There are checks on that. They balance each other out - just like a good relationship.

In every relationship, problems will come up. There will be disagreements, arguments, and power shifts. But, the sign of a good relationship is that, after things get shaken up, it can return to a normal, well-balanced coexistence.

Any changes to one of these branches could throw the whole system off balance to the point where it can't right itself anymore. While adjustments need to be made as the nation moves forward, putting too much faith in one branch over the others, insisting that changes be made when it's not ready to change, elevating one type of government and despising the others, can destroy the perfect balance that was intended.

America's Popularity Contest

After the recent presidential election, America has seen a lot of upheaval, turmoil, and calls for reform. Issues like the Electoral College and the importance of popular vote are being discussed by citizens and news outlets. Cries for better representation and the will of the people to be done are going out across the nation.

People are even signing petitions begging the electors to vote according to the popular vote instead of the direction that their own state went.

Unfortunately, most anti-Electoral College activists don't have any idea what they're really talking about - much less what they're doing.

Take a look at the map below. See those little blue spots throughout the country? About 50% of the U.S. population, give or take a few percentage points, lives in those little blue spots. The people living in those tiny little blue spots - that are few and far between - could decide the whole direction of the country if we were to eliminate the Electoral College. How is that better representation at all?



You see, the Electoral College (which you can read about in the United States Constitution, Article II section 1) was set up to avoid something like this. If those small little areas could decide the whole direction of the country, the people who don't live in those blue spots would be completely ignored. Their interests wouldn't matter. Their votes wouldn't matter.

Those people - those human beings - wouldn't matter anymore.

In fact, some states are still counting votes. Absentee votes aren't used to call a state for a candidate - unless the state is too close on Election Night. Provisional votes are the same. Officially, the vote count doesn't have to be in and official until the end of the month. That leaves plenty of time for every single vote in every single state to be counted.

And, who knows? The popular vote might actually swing in the President-Elect's favor.

But, even if it doesn't, these petitions that are circulating asking the electors to ignore what their state has decided are incredibly dangerous. In the history of the Electoral College system, there has only ever been a handful of "faithless electors" - a person who decides to vote according to their own conscience as opposed to the pledge they gave their state.

Because that's how it works.

These electors are chosen because the people can trust them to vote how the state voted. If the state, like Virginia, went to Hillary Clinton, all thirteen electors have pledged to cast their vote for Hillary Clinton. If the state, like Ohio, went to Donald Trump, all eighteen electors have pledged to cast their vote for Donald Trump.

What the electors of each state do has nothing to do with any other state and everything to do with the people of their state. I, personally, would be very angry if the people that I trusted to represent my vote chose to do what some other person in some other state was doing. I don't care how many people voted that way. It's not how it works.

The Electoral College was constructed to ensure the viability of every vote. It protects the little guy. It gives equal representation to the voters who feel forgotten.

Popular vote sounds like a good idea. It gives the illusion of putting every person on equal footing. It makes people feel like their voice has been heard.

But, look at that map one more time. Those little blue spots could silence a large portion of the United States. (And I want to be clear that this isn't about Republican versus Democrat - this isn't about party lines and divisions. It would be just as important if the little spots were red and the rest of the country were blue.)

If America went to popular vote instead of the Electoral College system, the people outside those little blue spots would have no purpose in voting - because even if all of them voted the opposite of those little blue spots, they would still lose.

Eliminating the Electoral College only works as a tool to silence. Popular vote drowns out the voice of small groups who just might have a different opinion.

An Open Letter to the American People

To those celebrating the election results:

I understand you.

You have felt for a long time that you've been given a raw deal - that promises have been made only to be broken. That no one is taking you seriously if they're even listening at all.

You heard something that inspired hope and trust. You followed that.

For the most part, you aren't racists or sexists or bigots of any kind. You simply want to make sure that you can provide for your family. And that your children will be able to provide for their families. You just wanted to safeguared and preserve the American dream - the opportunity to work hard and be able to better yourself.

You may not have loved the candidate. And you may sometimes think that he spends too much time with his foot in his mouth. You don't necessarily agree with him on everything right on down the line - or, at least, not always with how he expresses it.

But, you didn't vote for the man. You didn't elect his personality or his talents or his looks. You elected his principles. The platform that he ran on. Because you found the most common ground with him out of all the choices.

So, you are celebrating a success.

I am, too. I spent fifteen hours out of the house on election day, making sure that my volunteers had everything that they needed and that everything was running smoothly. I was in charge of three different polling locations all day - as well as running around wherever else I was needed. And those fifteen hours don't even begin to describe the time that I put in since July - recruiting volunteers, getting them trained, getting materials together, and so on.

I worked hard for this outcome. I'm pleased that my hard work payed.

Believe me when I say that I understand. Better than just about anyone else, I understand. But, try to be gracious. I know we're all sick of hearing about feelings, but think about how you would have felt if someone else had won. You would have felt hopeless, unheard, and maybe even a little scared.

You certainly wouldn't have wanted people rubbing it in your face about how your candidate was just too awful to win. You wouldn't want to hear over and over again all the reasons that they were a bad person. You would just kind of want to forget about all of it and move on. Let others do the same.

Be the change that you want to see in the world. Be the one to try to mend relationships and work together. Be the one to bring us back together.

To those mourning the election results:

I understand you.

You are afraid. You are uncertain. You have no idea how a man who seems so unstable will be able to successfully lead this country. You can't see how minority groups will ever be safe here again. You don't understand how so many people could have voted for this ideology.

I've been where you are.

I've been afraid that I'll never find a job - even though I am college educated and hard-working. I've been afraid to express my opinions - as a Christian and as a conservative Republican. I've been afraid that I've stopped being important - simply because of my skin color. I've been afraid that I won't be safe - because the world is getting more violent and hate-filled. I've been afraid that I won't be able to defend myself - because a constitutionally-protected right has been threatened.

I know what it's like to live in uncertainty. To live in a country where you disagree with the leadership and you feel powerless to stop it.

I don't want anyone to ever feel that way. It adds more anxiety into an already difficult life.

Although we disagree, you are still people. I still respect you as people. We made different choices this election; that was our right. I don't think any less of you for it.

And I am so thankful that our country is still a place where we can choose who leads us. It's a place where we can disagree. It's a place that still allows us to affect change in the things that we don't like.

We all still woke up in the United States of America - the nation with the most freedom in this entire world. We are all still Americans.

If you are being mistreated, stand up for yourself. If you want to see change, talk about it. That is still your right. And I, for one, am always willing to see how things could be better for all of us.

I say the same to you as I said to the other group: Be the change that you want to see in the world. Be the one to try to mend relationships and work together. Be the one to bring us back together.

To the American people as a whole:

What our nation needs now more than anything is understanding, comradery, and teamwork. Many feel forgotten or unimportant. Many of the underdogs chose the new President, Vice President, Senators, Congressman, and state officials this year. And those choices have made new people feel forgotten or unimportant.

That is not true.

No one is unimportant. And no one has been forgotten.

We all still have the freedom to stand up for what we believe is right. We still have the opportunity to talk to each other and try to understand other points-of-view. We still have the chance to work together to improve the lives of everyone who lives here.

The worst thing that we could do is to belittle the opinions and the feelings of others. The worst thing that we could do is disregard someone else's concerns. The worst thing that we could do is think only of ourselves.

I want to hear what everyone has to say. Because our decisions are only as good as the information they're based on. The more I know, the better I can do.

We need to live by the phrase help me help you.

This reminder goes out to every American: Be the change that you want to see in the world. Be the one to try to mend relationships and work together. Be the one to bring us back together.

Real or Not Real?

We've all heard that obnoxious phrase: perception is reality.

But, who decided that?

And how something is perceived cannot change the very nature of the thing itself.

For example, we all saw the story about that crazy woman, Rachel Dolezal. She perceived herself to be black; she "identified" as black. But, she was obviously a white woman - just with a perm and a really bad tan. Her perception of herself never changed the reality. The very nature of who and what she was has remained the same.

Another example - and this one is going to get me into some real trouble - is the transgender and gender identity movements. You can perceive that you are gender fluid, gender-neutral, or whatever gender you want to choose to be. You can even go so far as to alter your appearance so that other people perceive you in the way that you choose. You can claim that you were born a man but are really a woman - and vice versa, since I'm inclusive here. But, that will never change your biological reality. Your genetic code will never change. As a transgender, when you get blood drawn, you will genetically present as a man (XY chromosomes) with high levels of estrogen or as a woman (XX chromosomes) with high levels of testosterone. You cannot alter your genetics - unless you want to risk turning into the Incredible Hulk. (But, in that case, be my guest.)

I'm sick of people telling me that whatever people think is the truth has become the truth.

That's ridiculous.

And I won't stand for it.

Because making these "identity" and "perception" claims sounds as asinine to me as I would to you if I claimed that I could reach Narnia from the back of some closet somewhere.

My perception of the world could be that Narnia exists at the back of a closet or wardrobe and that I just haven't found the right one yet. But, when I do, believe me - I'll be in Narnia. And I could keep checking every single closet or armoire or wardrobe or hutch that I come across, trying to transport myself into the magical world of Narnia - a place with talking animals, witches, kings and princes, and creatures of legend.

You would want to put me into a mental institution for the safety of myself and of others. Because we all know that Narnia isn't real and that I will not get there through the back of a closet. All I'll be doing is walking into closets, mumbling about centaurs and lions.

You would think that I was a crazy person.

But, if perception is reality and if my perception is that I can reach Narnia through the back of some closet somewhere, why hasn't that been accepted as truth?

If you can make up whatever truth that you want to and I have to accept it as truth, why isn't my perception truth?

If my truth makes me certifiably insane, why doesn't yours make you the same?

How is that fair?

I don't want to sound hateful or mean, but we have to stop operating on the basis of a false premise. When you're starting point is wrong, you're ending point will be wrong.

This is how we ended up with accepting transgender - the perception that we can choose our own genders. This is how we ended up with homosexuality - the perception that all love should be accepted. This is how we ended up with abortion - the perception that a life is not a life until it is outside the womb, that because a fetus is inside a woman's body it is the woman's body.

If hearing that your perception of these issues is not reality makes you angry, let's talk about some that we can all unite on.

Operating on the idea that you can make something true just by seeing it that way is how we ended up with racism and slavery, misogyny, and a host of other dividing issues.

People believing that they are better than another race caused a blight on our national history and a disease that continues to plague us. Maybe Hitler and the Holocaust never would have happened. Maybe Apartheid and the injustice for Nelson Mandela would never have been as bad.

Men believing that women weren't as smart or capable as men caused years of oppression and neglect. Who knows what the women of the past could have accomplished if they hadn't been told that their job was to cook and clean, if they hadn't been told that they weren't as smart as their fathers and sons and brothers. We may have had the cure for cancer; we may have had more women role models because they would have been able to take credit for their work instead of having a man steal it from them.

Perception is based purely on emotion. It is selfish and exclusionary. It only sees from one point of view with the rejection of all others.

Reality is truth. And while error is plural, truth is singular. There may be an infinite number of ways for a dry erase marker to fall over, but there is only one way for it to stand up.

And that is simply a reality.

In our pluralistic and tolerant society, I understand that this is not popular. People don't want to be told that they are wrong. But, newsflash, they have never wanted to be told that they are wrong.

But, what I don't understand is why people would choose to live in their ignorance instead of letting themselves learn and grow.

My perception is that facts are important. Sadly, that's not the reality of the world anymore; nobody else seems to care about what is real or not real.

All Aboard the Trump Train

With Election Day less than a month away, I've decided to break my silence. I didn't want to sign on and say who I was supporting or opposing because - honestly - I think both of them are pretty awful. I voted for someone else in the primary. I've claimed that I would feel like I was selling out for voting for anyone other than my first choice. I said that I would hate myself come Election Day and that I couldn't believe that these are the serious choices for both parties.

I hate Hillary Clinton.

I hate Donald Trump.

But, I am on the Trump Train.

Before you decide to relegate me into that "basket of deplorables" that Mrs. Clinton so graciously talked about, hear me out. I self-identify as a feminist. I have many friends from all kinds of racial backgrounds and thoroughly enjoy learning about their distinct cultures. I am polite - or at least try to be - to every human being I meet, regardless of race, religion, gender, etc., ad nauseum.

I am not some hatemongering, fearmongering, warmongering pig. I am a person - just like you.

I am a person who has a vested interest in what happens to America's military and police officers - because they are my friends and family. I am a person who has a vested interest in America's economy - because I am a college graduate who has been unemployed for a year and a half. I am a person who has a vested interest in preserving the safety and freedoms that I was born with - because they have started to erode in the short twenty-two years that I've been alive.

However, a few weeks ago, a good friend of mine posted a video on his Facebook page. (He explains it all better than I ever could, so go check him out if you've got the time. He's a kind and intelligent man. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMhUzYvP1SQ ) This video really opened my eyes to why I should vote for Donald Trump.

I had already tried to find common ground with the man. He was the Republican nominee, and I affiliate myself with the GOP. Instead of splitting the Republican vote (which gave us President BILL Clinton), I knew that I needed to support my party's nominee.

I didn't like how Mr. Trump had behaved during the primary. I thought that he was trivial and petulant. I honestly thought that he was a bad person. I didn't like him, and I certainly never wanted to vote for him. I saw that he was really only in it for himself.

Unfortunately, you don't always get what you want. In fact, in the primary, only 9% of the American population voted for the two official nominees - combined. Let that sink in for a moment. Ninety-one percent of Americans are unhappy with the two choices, for whatever personal reason that they may cite. I'm part of the 91%. I understand.

But, my friend David shared this video that helped to change my mind. He said that even good people can make bad decisions that will ultimately hurt the nation. Bad people can sometimes do good things that will ultimately help the nation. It's not about the person. It's about their goals - what they want to do with their time in power.

David pointed out the top five areas that are vital for a candidate to land on the right side of. There could be more areas that are important. However, if you land on the wrong side of these four, you're likely to land on the wrong side of everything else.

The top five things to look at during an election - whether it's the dog catcher or the president or anything in between:

Judges - because they tend to set the culture. What kind of judges will Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Trump appoint? They both have answered this question; only one of them falls within the same purview that I fall within.

Israel - because God blesses those that bless Israel and curse those that curse Israel. How will Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Trump treat the nation of Israel? Based on their opinions of the Middle East and what terms they use to describe the people in that area (i.e., ISIL vs. ISIS), I know who I agree with.

Public religious acknowledgments - freedom of religious conscience. Will Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Trump allow people to make decisions based on their religious conscience? Certain agendas make that impossible.

Marriage protection - by definition, one man, one woman, one lifetime. Which candidate will acknowledge the distinct union of marriage? I'm not sure that either Mr. Trump or Mrs. Clinton care much about this; yet, one will try to mandate inclusion, and one will let the people decide.

The shedding of innocent blood - abortion. Where do these two people stand on abortion? Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton have both made their opinions on the matter very clear.

With these issues in mind, I know who I have to vote for. These two candidates have made it very clear where they stand on these five issues - issues of the utmost importance to the sovereignty of this nation.

Let's take a quick look at history. The Greek Empire was destroyed after, and only after, they conquered and mistreated Israel, they stifled any cultural religion other than their paganism, they lost the sanctity of marriage, they discarded the sanctity of life, and their leaders allowed it all to happen. The Roman Empire was destroyed after, and only after, they conquered and mistreated Israel, they persecuted anyone that didn't worship their gods and their caesar, they lost the sanctity of marriage, they discarded the sanctity of life, and their leaders were the worst of them all. The Third Reich fell after, and only after, they tried to destroy the Jews, they denied the existence of God and outlawed churches, they lost the sanctity of marriage, they discarded the sanctity of life, and their leaders praised them for it.

Need I continue?

History is full of stories of nations dissolving because they didn't take these issues seriously. Rome was destroyed. Greece was destroyed. Persia was destroyed. Spain was destroyed. All great countries are destroyed. Why not ours? How much longer do you think our country is going to last? Forever?

It may sound fatalistic. And turning to Donald Trump may seem like the blind scrambling of desperation.

I have heard what he's said. I have heard what he's done. I know what he is. He is not always a good man. But, I'm not always a good person either. If saying and doing ugly things disqualifies us from ever being able to help anyone ever again, then our nation is worse off than any of us thought - because we have all done and said some pretty ugly things.

I am voting for Donald Trump because I have no other choice. Choosing between someone that I can sometimes agree who does and says ugly things and someone that I will never agree with who does and says ugly things seems pretty obvious to me.

You're going to vote for whoever you want to vote for. You have your priorities. That's fine. And maybe I helped someone change their mind or hate themselves less for doing what they know is right. That's great.

But, don't assume that a person voting for Donald Trump is a "deplorable." Don't assume that I love everything that he says and does. Don't assume anything about me based on the way I vote. Maybe I'm just trying to make the best of a bad situation. Maybe you are, too.