Sabrina Samone, TMP
I knew the time had come two weeks ago, as I came home one evening, turned on the Tele to catch my favorite show, and realized that during the entire episode I hadn't actually seen a normal commercial. It was South Carolina's turn in the primaries, and the heat was on. In '08, there was no doubt by this time who I'd be voting for...Barack. Here now in 2016 to this very day, to the dismay of several friends, I remained on the fence. Week after week I answered the questions, "So I know you are supporting this one or that one.", from family, co-workers, and friends. I really admired several things about all the candidates for my party, but admit I enjoyed having family and friends try to sell me on whom they were supporting.
When the eyes, this past week, turned on S.C., and I knew that the time was now. It was decision time. Thanks to my parents who were active locally, and apart of the civil rights movement in their home states, voting or not voting once you turned 18 in our household was not an option. Too many died to have this right, so I proudly say I've never missed one, and I wasn't going to miss this one. But who? By now, looking at the pictures, you, my readers know now that I am endorsing Bernie Sanders for President, but why? Let me answer that with three questions.
1. WHY NOT A REPUBLICAN?
Besides it being physically impossible for me to vote republican, just kidding, I simply can't vote against myself. I prefer to say voting against myself than the popular, my self interest, because I am also interested in better immigration, that a government should spend money responsibly, that we should have a strong foreign policy, and that we should take care of American Veterans. Seriously who doesn't? I really loath the way many Republican politicians and voters would say that as if they are the only ones that care about the country, or safety and our livelihood. To me, implying that no other party cares about that is too insulting in itself for me to vote for them.
I choose not to vote for someone who would want to hurt me, deny my rights, limit my potential in life, who does not see me as an equal, and pass legislation to show me they don't. As a trans southern, multi-racial woman of color, whose a Kabbalistic hippie, I see zero of any of that represented, treated with respect, granted rights or even the pursuit of happiness by anyone who wears the name Republican. So it's a big fat zero vote ever while I have a breath in my body from me, BUT what the heck is up with them actually contemplating voting for 'The Donald'. I'm still waiting to exhale from this nightmare to be told it was some brilliant political ploy to through the election for the Dems. They really can't be contemplating having him run this country, our military and remain respected in this world do they?
2. HOW DO A DIE HARD CLINTON GROW TO FEEL THE BERN?
Over the past several months, I have been teased for my love and admiration of the Clinton's. I still, and will always say that Bill Clinton had to be the best POTUS, minus Barack, that we've had since Abraham Lincoln (I know Republican, but different era). Then there's Hillary, and there is so much I will let you say in my presence about this woman. Say what you will, but Hillary Clinton has more cajones than any man in politics. She deserves way more respect in this country than she gets. What woman or MAN, has gone from first lady of Arkansas, the White House, the Senate, Secretary of State, and to being a constant major rival for the Presidency of the United States, all while being attacked ruthlessly every step of the way and yet succeeding time and time again.
When I honestly think of what politician can stand against anything , and anyone in politics and thrive, I can't help think of anyone but Hilary.
3. SO THEN, WHY BERNIE SANDERS?
Bernie Sanders first peeked my interest as a Representative, when his Socialist ideas were compared to a Socialist govt. I admire, France. Socialism, I believe, if it is equally distributed socially, and democratically with balanced representation of the people and corporations, is a good thing. I've often been baffled at the Republican propaganda machine about Obama, for instance, being a socialist or promoting socialism, when this country has been more socialist than democratic since Roosevelt. The only true Democracy in history, in my opinion, was the Greek empire, but that's a whole other story.
Yet, there is something more important than a party at stake here, and that was the one thing that kept me on the fence about Bernie for so long. It is obvious, with the arrival of Ted Cruz, and Donald Trump, that our MTV, 'Fifteen Minutes of Fame' generation has hit an all time low. The very creation of the T Party a decade ago, by mega billionaires, to protect their own pharmaceutical, and insurance industries from the Affordable Care Act, by selling the most outrageous propaganda to a gullible mass, and lead them to believe it was possible for Barack Obama to be a Socialist, Marxist, Communists who was also Muslim simultaneously, was proof of that. How that machine would stand against Bernie Sanders, an open socialist would make for a formidable opponent, and could be Sander's Achilles heel.
Nevertheless, there's something TMP feels is more valuable, and important to our trans society than even an election, and that is unity in the birth of the trans vote. Throughout the history of American politics, there have been voting groups, and politicians to cater to them. In the early 1900's it was newly legalized Irish, Italian and Jewish citizen's votes. By the sixties the Catholic vote had placed J.F.K in office, and later would come the vote of women that was sought after election after election. After the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which I was also pleased to see that Bernie Sanders had lead a campus integration at the University of Chicago in 1962; these events would mark the beginning of the African American vote. A vote that grew each decade until finally, the long overdo arrival of our first African American President, Barack Obama. In our lifetime we have also seen the growth of the Latino vote, and during the '08 campaigns, politicians were no longer ignoring the growing influence of the Gay and Lesbian votes. It may have been noted then, and now as the LGBT vote, but as most of us in trans culture feel, that rarely represented us.
One thing that has fascinated me about Bernie Sanders is his openness to court what he, and a few in media are now calling the trans vote, and in that, is power in the future for trans society. Why is that single acknowledgment powerful you may ask? Politicians careers depend on a vote, and when there is a collective voice using the muscle of that vote, those same politicians can no longer pass or introduce laws based on their reason's for not knowing anyone in that group. They begin to tread lightly on the rights of that voting block. It is true that our community is as diverse as any, and therefore there are fragments of supporters for other candidates naturally as well. I have never witness such a large group within our community, unite, be represented, and acknowledged by a Presidential Candidate like we have seen thus far with Sanders.
Bernie Sanders Stands Alone in Tweeting Support for Trans Housing Rights
For that reason, among all others, I endorse, and encourage the continued, uniting support from our community for Presidential Candidate Senator Bernie Sanders.
There are issues in both candidates that have been acknowledge in our community, but I am pleased to see the willingness of both candidates to address those issues. Hilary Clinton now taking on wall street more, and Bernie Sanders making more of an effort to reach, and address the African American vote. I was actually disappointed to have seen O'Malley drop out so soon, as he was one of the first Governors, of one of the First states, M.D., to address and stand with the transgender community. As I said in the beginning, this was hard because they are all Democrat and stand for what I believe, and each have strengths I'd admire in a President. Anyone who votes Dem is a friend of mine regardless lol. Ultimately, I have my fingers crossed for a Sanders/Clinton or Sanders/O'Malley ticket. Now that's a force I'd love to see crush 'The Donald'.
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RELATED TOPICS ON TRANSMUSEPLANET
Why Trans* Should Vote for our Own Self Interest
Defining who we are pt. V: Learning to Care for Our Own
TAKING OUR CROWN
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