Dear US voters:
I wrote the post below quickly a few days before our election on November 8. Clearly, the outcome of the presidential race is not what I had hoped. Yet, like many who feared a Trump presidency, to the extent you fit into the large groups below and voted for Trump, I remain genuinely puzzled. I wish the new Presidential Administration every success in helping our economic problems and political concerns, while also hoping that our country is done with what seemed like clear divisive politics during the campaign, which prompted me to write this post in the first place.
DM
If you fit into any of the following categories, and are a voter in the US, I urge you NOT to vote for Donald Trump (and further to vote for Hillary Clinton) for the reason, grounded in evidence from diverse sources, that follows each category:
(1) Women -- because Trump has shown over and over that he thinks of you mostly as either sexual objects or not cute enough to be sexual objects, and that everything else about you is secondary to whether he could/should be sexual with you, sometimes forcefully,
(2) Immigrants -- because Trump definitely puts the rights and feelings of native born citizens above yours,
(3) People of Hispanic, Muslim and/or Middle Eastern background -- because Trump has gone out of his way to identify you as a problem and will restrict your freedom, perhaps dramatically,
(4) African-Americans -- because Trump has discriminated in the past and shows every sign of lumping your concerns and experiences together in a racist way,
(5) Jews -- because Trump has allowed, and perhaps encouraged, aggressive anti-Semites to voice their hatred,
(6) People worried about war or other expensive foreign policies -- because Trump has explicitly argued that the US might use nukes and has discounted the importance of stable alliances and diplomatic, multilateral solutions to complex problems,
(7) Scientists — because Trump has denied the validity of science, often preferring conspiracy theories instead,
(8) Members of the military -- because Trump avoided any military service, but has insulted military families and claimed that he knows much more than top military brass like accomplished Generals,
(9) Believers in democracy -- because Trump has praised nasty dictators and acted like good leaders can by themselves make others do what they want,
(10) Believers in the American Dream — because Trump’s success is based on inheriting many millions of dollars, not improving his life through hard work or education,
(11) Basically ethical or religious people -- because Trump has shown no remorse for his long-standing practices of cheating workers, stiffing contractors, committing adultery, making money off of vulnerable people, or refusing to pay his fair share in taxes or charity,
(12) Vulnerable, weak or disabled people -- because Trump's life story has been one of bullying, enjoying "firing," and making fun of people whom he dislikes or sees as losers, which would appear to be most of us non-billionaires.
There are many of us who want change in our political system, and who don't necessarily feel acknowledged by leaders in Washington or Wall Street. Yet it is hard to see how positive change can come by voting for someone with no experience or knowledge of public policy, or by voting against folks who have actually accomplished things for some ordinary Americans, like Hillary Clinton, even if you don’t entirely trust them. Trump may be entertaining, or, to some, personally appealing. But, throughout his life, he has shown that he doesn't actually care about ordinary Americans (particularly in the above categories), and that he lacks the understanding to fix any of the things he wants to break. For the sake of our country's stability, and the ideal of a society that works for everyone, please don't vote for him.
PLEASE NOTE: The views in this article are my own and do not necessarily represent the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.