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.