Growing up, my parents voted in every. single. election. I registered to vote at 18, and I voted in the 2004 and 2008 elections but then we started moving around and it became a hassle going from state to state. I voted for one party in 2004 and the other party in 2008. My residency is still Alaska and with the military exemptions, it's always tricky to get what you need on time in order to vote. Since I would've always likely voted Republican and Alaska is always a red state anyway, I haven't done my civic duty in voting and I was okay with that. Voting in local Alaska elections, while I didn't live in Alaska, never sat well with me because an uninformed voter is just as bad as a non-voter.
This year, I'm sending in for my absentee ballot because I would actually like to vote in the midterm elections.
You see, when I was a kid, no one ever talked about who they voted for...because it didn't matter. You were not your political affiliation. But, in 2018, you are your political affiliation. Red, blue, donkey, elephant, Democrat, Republican, and then there's all the hashtags. You must identify in the same way you would choose a race on a form you'd fill out at the DMV or a doctor's office. If you don't pick and don't make it known, you are invisible.
I don't talk about politics (much) because I don't think it's the sum of who a person is, but that is going away in this society and I need to stop being afraid of stating what I believe because that's literally what it's come to:
Given everything that generally goes up on the internet these days, I've been conditioned to think/believe/expect that no one will like me if they know I'm a republican/conservative.
And, actually, I'm not even registered Republican right now. I'm Independent, but I used to be a registered Republican. The point is that I believe in what the Republicans believe in. I did not vote for Donald Trump, but I do not like Hillary Clinton. I understand why people voted for Trump. I understand why people probably voted for Clinton. In fact, I like to think that I can see both sides and this is why I follow both liberals and conservatives on Twitter and I read multiple news outlets. I mean, I like Ben Shapiro so much because, even though he's incredibly conservative, he just reports the facts. He makes fun of the President on a daily basis. Anyone could appreciate his jokes.
When it came down to the Kavanaugh hearings, I spent a lot of time on Twitter trying to figure out what people were believing and why. This sums up how I feel:
Women SHOULD be believed and we're all aware that not all men are bad.
Women SHOULD be able to tell their stories, free of consequence to them.
It shouldn't matter if that woman comes forward right away or 36 years later.
I also think Kavanaugh SHOULD be confirmed. There's no evidence that HE did anything. I do believe that Dr. Ford was likely assaulted in some way, at some place, during some time. I truly don't think he had anything to do with it. The idea that evidence doesn't matter and the allegation is proof is absolutely terrifying. THAT premise, that anyone can make a claim and be believed no matter what, should scare everyone. Watch this 8 minute video. Also, this is Rachel Mitchell's report.
If me believing that Kavanaugh should get some kind of presumption of innocence against an allegation makes me a bad person or condoner of violence against women, then there's not much else I can say.
If I say he has a RIGHT to be angry and that anger in no way is indicative of his supposed ability to be violent against women and you don't believe that's just, there's not much else I can say.
"Temperament" means NOTHING if you are falsely accused of a crime. We would all react the same way and I don't think that anyone would deny that.
If actual corroborative evidence comes up after I post this, I will certainly change my thoughts. But if we don't believe in innocent until proven guilty, we have nothing as a safeguard in our society.
If I say he has a RIGHT to be angry and that anger in no way is indicative of his supposed ability to be violent against women and you don't believe that's just, there's not much else I can say.
"Temperament" means NOTHING if you are falsely accused of a crime. We would all react the same way and I don't think that anyone would deny that.
If actual corroborative evidence comes up after I post this, I will certainly change my thoughts. But if we don't believe in innocent until proven guilty, we have nothing as a safeguard in our society.
Comments are off, but if you want to talk politics, k.e.twigg@gmail.com.
