I have a special needs sibling and that is why I am not voting for Trump
His actions aren’t representative of what a president should be
I am not that politically involved, but like many people in the same position, I have been pulled in by the absurdity and concern for our country that this presidential election has wrought. Once the primaries were completed and it was cemented that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were going to be our presidential nominees, it wasn’t hard for me to side with her.
Back in November of last year, Donald Trump was filmed making fun of a New York Times reporter with special needs during one of his many rallies. The news spread quickly, and while I try to avoid most media coverage of Donald Trump I couldn’t ignore this. My nine year old sister, Jordan, is a special needs child- she has severe mental handicaps and falls on the Autism spectrum. Like the man Trump was making fun of, Jordan is prone to random, spastic hand flapping, like many kids who are autistic, and I couldn’t stop the anger and sadness that filled my heart as I watched the clip over and over again as it circulated on the news.
What a doofus.
Like many people in this country, I imagine Donald Trump does not have much of an understanding of those with special needs and, to be fair, it’s not necessarily his fault. He could have never known someone with a disability or was not properly educated on issues regarding special needs individuals. Maybe it’s both, or maybe it’s neither. He wouldn’t be the first person to be ignorant of these issues, but, unlike others in the same boat, he is running for President.
Disregarding how the action portrays him as uneducated on the topic, the biggest thing I take from Trump’s taunting is what you’d take away from anyone taunting someone else: he’s a bully. I watch that clip and I am furious at how he finds someone who is struggling, who has a proper, medical issue, and instead of empathizing or just not saying anything, he made a point to verbally and physically make fun of the man and then had the gaul to try and deny it when questioned by the media.
I genuinely worry about how my sister and others who have special needs could be treated by a country who doesn’t care about their issues and needs.
Don’t get me wrong- Hillary Clinton is in no way perfect. She has flaws just like any other politician, and yes, if she were against a better Republican candidate she might not have been the frontrunner in this election. However, despite her shortcomings, I can’t ever imagine putting an ignorant bully into office that could very easily have a major affect on my sister’s life and on the lives of thousands of others who have special needs and disabilities. I am not just voting for myself, but for my family- both present and future relatives- and for those who, for whatever reason, cannot cast a vote. I take that responsibility seriously, especially as a first time voter. Being able to vote for our leaders is an opportunity that is not to be wasted, and I thank my lucky stars everyday that I live in a country that allows me to have a voice in the system. I don’t plan on wasting that chance, and I am going to vote for the candidate that can not only make the country better for me, but for the people I love. To me, that person is Hillary Clinton.