Are feminists saying ‘Hill Yes’ for the right reasons?

By now most of you have (hopefully) seen Hillary at the Democratic National Convention.

She delivered a well-worded, fiery speech that grasped the attention of the room, and had onlookers on their feet cheering at the top of their lungs.

Granted, I watched it in my living room with my dog, but she had her paws in the air for sure.

Many people have placed their faith in dear Hillz, and truly believe that she is the best qualified to keep this great country great.

For others, a huge plus is that she would be America’s first female president and shatter that glass ceiling on the steps of Capitol Hill(ary). But are we using the fact that Hillary is a woman as an excuse to vote for her?

When many think of feminists, images of people marching around topless with picket signs come to mind, but in reality it can be much more simple than that. Feminism is also frequently viewed as favoring women over men, and that is just not what it is about.

Feminism goes back years and years and has made great strides in America. We can vote, we have the right to choose, and we can own property. These are luxuries that are often overlooked in today’s day and age, and I think the fact that young girls can grow up today and have the ability to think for themselves and do these things without a second thought is truly beautiful.

Feminism has been about so much more than just women’s rights – it has been a force to be reckoned with to gain equal rights for all groups of people. In fact, feminists played quite a large role in supporting the Civil Rights Movement, one of the largest victories for equality in America.

So if what feminism is really about is equality, then it seems something has gone horribly wrong in the wake of this upcoming election. Voting for Hillary solely because she is a woman is not okay.

I have come across so many people who are voting for Hillary because they believe it is the “feminist thing to do.”

The real feminist thing to do would be to vote for her because you truly believe she is the best candidate, regardless of gender. Vote for her because you believe she is strong, qualified, and prepared. The fact that she is a woman is just an added bonus, and has no influence over how she will perform.

I am not downgrading how exciting and revolutionary it would be to have our first woman president. It is amazing that America might be ready for this.

But to vote for Hillary just because she is a woman completely negates all of her political accomplishments, and dismisses all of the work that she has done to get to where she is.

Don’t do her this injustice. Vote for Hillary because she is smart, driven, capable, and will actively make the best decisions to advance America.