Why 'I'm Not With Her' Doesn't Mean 'I'm With Him'

Not voting is still a vote. If you don't stand for something you will fall for anything.
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I'm not with her," I couldn't believe my ears as I heard one of my closest friends who had long supported the Democrat party announce that she was not in support of Hillary Clinton as the next President of the United States. Just 8 years ago, we had all witnessed the first-time election of Barack Obama as the first African-American president; surely she should want to experience history again by electing our first woman president right?

Wrong.

The first thought that comes to the minds of most when someone proclaims that they are not in support of Hillary Clinton is that you must be a supporter of Donald Trump. That could be a very far cry from the truth. In fact, Jill Stein announced at last week's Green Party that several Democratic supporters of Bernie Sanders had abandoned the party to support the Green Party. Contrary to popular belief, Hillary and Trump are not the only options for Americans that feel forced to choose between "the lesser of two evils." To help voters decide which way to go there have been several websites popping up all across the internet that display the voting records of elected officials to help people determine which candidates most closely supports their ideas.

Hillary Clinton continues to lead in the polls against Donald Trump; however, TIME magazine suggests that most supporters support Donald or Hillary because they don't like their opponent, not because they like either candidate so much.

So why exactly are so many Democrats so hesitant in their support for Hillary Clinton and why are Bernie Sanders supporters still chanting #FeeltheBern instead of #ImwithHer? It's quite simple. Many former Bernie Sanders' supporters continue to have a lingering distrust of Clinton stating that she is too establishment-friendly and untrustworthy. Others seem to feel she's only about the money and many African Americans still have not forgotten the 1994 Crime Bill that landed several African American men in prison and allegedly was passed to expand the death penalty, encourage states to lengthen prison sentences and eliminate federal funding for inmate education.

Recently, Hillary has denounced the crime bill but several voters aren't buying that or any other policies she now actively promotes on her campaign trail. While several lead advisors hope to sway those few wavering democratic votes for November those opting to support third party candidates are not enough to put a huge dent in Hillary Clinton's lead.

As we quickly approach November elections dig within yourself and dig deep. Search your heart and be reminded despite which candidate you hate the most, not voting is still a vote. If you don't stand for something you will fall for anything.

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