The revolution keeps on keeping on

This is not the country I was born in, but this is now my home. Therefore, I am highly concerned about its future. As most of you know, I was, and still am, a very avid Bernie Sanders supporter. I strongly believe that he embodies everything that a leader should have, passion, inspiration, a good heart, and above all else, integrity. However, due to the nature of the DNC candidate selection system as well as his unwillingness to play “the game”, he is not the Democratic presidential candidate. Hillary Clinton is. As much as I dislike her, I wholeheartedly believe she is still the best alternative available.

Let me explain one thing. I detest the “Bernie or Bust” people. To me, that borders on the unconstitutional, and that’s worse than doing nothing. That’s just feeling entitled to getting things your way or no way at all. Someone said that the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing, and that’s what Bernie or Bust means: triumph of evil. The people’s champion endorsed HRC and he was booed for that, despite that being the best move available on the chess board. Bernie started a revolution, but him endorsing Hillary does not mean that he betrayed the revolution. It means that he recognizes the impetus of what he started and that he is going to use that momentum to crash the DNC’s party and make sure his voice is heard and his platform is recognized and valued on the floor of the DNC. This doesn’t mean that the revolution is over, but that it has only just begun and is gaining traction, by forcing the DNC to change its ways.

To all the Bernie or Bust people who are going to boycott their right to vote or who want to vote for Jill Stein, I plead not to do that. I have nothing against Jill Stein and her intentions seem very pure, but she is no politician and doesn’t have any experience, meaning she can’t get things done. She has no name recognition, no power, no respect from any of the sides of the aisle, and voting for her would result in highly favoring the carnival barker on the other side of the fence. In a scenario almost analogous to the 2000 election when Ralph Nader was the Green Party’s candidate, it would mean a victory for the Republicans, which is not good for anyone in this country except rich white people. Had Nader not run in 2000, we would have been spared of 8 years of Bush presidency, albeit the endless moments of blissfully moronic comedic relief that he provided. Now, in 2016, a vote for Jill Stein means a vote for Trump, which is one less vote toward equal opportunity, societal and judicial fairness, the economic well-being of this country and its advancement.

Hillary Rodham Clinton is not a perfect candidate and I strongly dislike her. However, she is by far the better choice. It is not about picking the lesser of two evils, but about picking the most qualified person for the job, which, comparatively, she absolutely is. Will she be a one-term president? Highly likely. Will that be better than any amount of days under a Trump presidency. Absolutely. With that said, please, don’t boycott your vote, and valorize it by not giving it to Trump or Jill Stein. Keep the revolution going by calling leaders out on their mistakes and by offering better, more peaceful solutions to issues. At the end of the day, Bernie was never our champion, he was just a face. We all have been the champions of this revolution all along, and we can keep moving and pushing our agenda forward, regardless of who the face of our movement is.

We are living in very dangerous and delicate times, and we cannot afford to make any mistakes right now. As a nation, as well as as a species, we need to have our priorities straight to make sure we are ruled with vision, competence and integrity. Cliche notwithstanding, we need to make sure we leave the world a better place for future generations, and we need to ensure the survival of our species. We started a political revolution, now it’s time to make sure it’s a societal and human revolution, sparking another Renaissance and pushing the limits of what we can achieve and do for one-another. That, ladies and gentlemen, is why this election is so important and I urge you all to make the right choice. May we always put forth the best of ourselves for each-other and for this great nation!