Many people likely think I’m foolish for voting 3rd Party for Evan McMullin (I know, I feel the eye-rolls), but if you have a few minutes and an open mind, I’d like to explain my reasons. As someone who survived child abuse, I have never been able to stand idly by when I recognize evil. To me, ignoring or justifying evil is to be an enabler of evil, and I cannot in good conscience do that. I understand the reasoning of people who vote Trump, and of those who vote Clinton, but I personally cannot vote for either.
As more and more disturbing evidence seeps out regarding Hillary’s leaking of classified information, possible Clinton Foundation fraud, and Bill Clinton’s ties to convicted sexual predator Jeffery Epstein, I’d like us to remember what Donald Trump has said about Epstein:
“I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy. He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it — Jeffrey enjoys his social life.” (Source: Daily Caller, 2016 / New York Magazine, 2011)
While I agree that it’s fishy that so many women are just now coming out to accuse Trump of abuse, the man’s own words bear witness against his character. I also understand the level of fear many abuse victims feel, and how some of them may have remained silent for decades only to muster the courage just as Trump comes close to achieving the most powerful office in the world. Yes, some of them may be salacious frauds, but given Trump’s own boasts, some may also be genuine victims who have finally worked up the courage to sacrifice their privacy for the sake of warning America away from an immoral leader.
At this point some will ask, “Who are you to judge Trump’s heart?” to which I would respond, “Who are you to judge his accusers as the worst kind of liars?”
Certainly, we are not called to be judgmental, but we are called to be wise (Matthew 10:16) and watchful (1 John 4:1). Based on my observations, Trump’s words and attitudes do not square with my understanding of The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), or Paul’s description of love (1 Corinthians 13). I’m not looking for a perfect candidate. I’m not even looking for a Christian candidate. I’m just looking for a candidate who generally matches my values, and who I wouldn’t be afraid to let babysit my kids.
Trump has stated that he admires Planned Parenthood. As recently as 2015, he stated that he’s in favor of late term abortion in the case of rape, incest, health of the mother, or other “caveats.” He said as much in this video interview with Bloomberg. As my pro-life and parent friends know, once a baby is late term, a C-Section is a viable option that can save the life of the baby and the mother, and reduce the mother’s risk of post-abortion depression. There is no reason why such pregnancies can’t end in adoption.
All this being said, I do not think Hillary Clinton is any kind of alternative. Given that the Clinton’s and Trump golf together, party together, invite each other to weddings, and allegedly visit Jeffrey Epstein’s island together — and given Trump’s history of voting Democrat and donating huge dollar figures to Clinton, Reed, Pelosi, Kerry, etc. — I perceive Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as two morally corrupt liberals in a scandal-ridden farce of an election.
A 3rd Party vote is not a vote for Clinton or a vote for Trump, it’s a vote for a 3rd Party candidate. This is not about voting for who we think is most likely to win. We are not betting on horses here. This is also not about voting against whoever we hate or fear the worst. This is about making a moral statement about whose principles best represent our own. This is about doing what’s right, and rejecting what’s wrong. If more people voted out of conscience instead of anger or peer pressure, we’d have fewer corrupt leaders and a more moral nation right now.
And those are my reasons. There’s no second, second, second guessing. There are no logical acrobatics trying to justify a vote for him or for her. It’s not complex. I find that doing the right thing rarely is. It’s poor decisions that usually take the most effort to justify. Anytime I have to argue myself into a decision, I take that as a red flag that I might be making the wrong decision.
In closing, if you’ve gotten this far in my blog, thank you. Vote your conscience. Pray for each candidate, because regardless of who wins, God can use them to work out his purposes, with them or despite them. God can change Trump. God can change Clinton. God can raise up and put down whomever he wishes. All we have to do is trust him. That is all he has ever required.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.
Proverbs 3:5-8
American flag photo © Valerie Everett, Flickr Creative Commons license, Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)
