It was past midnight (BST) as I watched the roll call during the Republican National Convention on an unusually hot summer night in my London flat. My husband was dead asleep and I alone was glued to CNN watching the Republican Party nominate Donald J Trump as the Republican Candidate for President.
It was like a dark cloud fell over me. I was in utter shock, terrified, and saddened. I never thought it would actually happen. I believed so much in the American people and thought there was no way a major political party would choose a man who is blatantly unqualified for the job as president of the free world.
I was certain that the party's leadership wouldn't let Trump destroy the GOP. Where were the "never trump movement", I thought. Surely delegates would vote their conscience, I questioned, but it never happened.
In the end, Trump stood before the convention and delivered an acceptance speech that resembled that of Mussolini Italy in the 1920s by painting a picture of a chaotic, dark, and broken America. "Our convention occurs at a moment of crisis in our nation. " He continued, "Nobody knows the system better me, which is why I alone can fix it" he bellowed and I trembled with thoughts of a fascist totalitarian America.
Because of Trump, people are now empowered to publically demonstrate hate and racism. This November we must not only defeat, "Trump, The Candidate" in the polls, we must defeat the mindset, the hate, the fear (especially the fear), that has been nurtured by candidate Trump.
As the election is nearing, more and more Republicans are standing by Trump. For the life of me, I can't understand why. Many Republicans argue that as a Republican, they must vote for a Republican presidential candidate even if they strongly disagree with the candidate's deplorable behavior and how he represents their Party. It's as if not voting for Trump will make them "bad" Republicans. That's like me saying as a Catholic; I must support a priest who is guilty of deplorable (there's that word again) acts because I don't want to be viewed as a "bad" Catholic. Not supporting a priest who has exhibited such actions does not mean that I disagree with Catholic teachings or the religion as a whole. I just don't support the actions of one priest representing the Church. Similarly, Republicans not supporting Trump doesn't take away from their support of the Republican party's values-- it simply says that they recognize who represents the values of the Republican Party and this candidate does not.
Honestly, Hillary isn't my first choice of candidate for president, but I know she is the right choice for the country. And not just because she is running against someone who is clearly WRONG for the job but also because she's smart, she's experienced, and she has a clear vision for advancing America.
let's defeat Trump in the polls by a landslide and hope the message transcend as a catylsyst for deafeating Trumpism.
~Signed Chantal Victoria — Writer, Publisher, and Academic.
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