As a male, gay, lower-class, college student, I am clearly not voting for Gov. Mitt Romney this election. He has no actual plan for how he would make the country better, does not care about almost half of the country and does not support something very important to me — marriage equality.
He disgusts me, and I do not know what is worse — the fact that he is a presidential candidate or the fact that he has such a strong following.
Romney is not a politician. He is a business man. Countries cannot be ran like businesses.
This is a country, not a business. People cannot be fired, cannot be silenced, cannot be threatened and cannot be controlled. If my happiness is threatened, I will fight until I die to keep it.
Romney Video
Romney flat out said in a private meeting, which was being recorded without his knowledge, he did not care about Americans who rely on the government.
This includes most college students, people on Social Security income, those with disabilities and any person who receives government aid.
It seems to me the GOP needs big businesses to have more money and the ones at the bottom — like my family and I — need less.
My family and I are part of lower-class America. We are a chunk of people Romney claims would inevitably vote for President Obama — and most of us are — but Romney could have spent some time trying to swing my vote.
Oh, wait, I forgot. Even after the video came out into the public, he stood by what he said in private, which means as president he would not care about almost half the country.
If someone is a supporter of Romney and has to get government aid to go to college, he is part of the 47 percent Romney does not support. If his grandparents have Medicaid, he is part of Romney’s 47 percent. Basically, if he or his parents are not making at least $100,000 per year, he is part of Romney’s 47 percent.
If Romney doesn’t support him, then why does he support Romney?
Equality
Romney wants to take a document that was made for giving rights to people and make an amendment to the Constitution that says same-sex couples should not be able to get married.
According to The Huffington Post, Romney has also said it is a hospital’s right not to allow anyone — specifically homosexuals — the right to see a family member, spouse or partner.
The fact that Romney is willing to strip millions of American citizens of rights and give any heterosexual the right to discriminate against someone who identifies as LGBT is wrong on so many levels, and that is what this looks like to me.
As a gay male, Romney wants to permanently kill any hope I might have of ever having the same legal commitment to someone I love, but, if the person I loved was of the opposite sex, then it is OK. I will not crawl back into the closet — they are for clothes. I am happier now than I ever have been, so please make my desire to marry the man of my dreams a reality.
Romney and the Republican Party made it an initiative to never see me get married and to never see any of my gay and lesbian friends get married.
Why should they get a right to vote on what I can and cannot do in my house or bedroom? I don’t get to vote on what they do in their own house.
Weigh Your Options
Before heading to the polls next Tuesday, think extremely hard about who deserves that vote.
Whose lives will be affected by the candidate’s actions, any of your friends or family? Why do certain issues matter to you?
We should not be voting and arguing about civil rights, and we should not have a president who considers almost half of the country none of his concern.
I’m voting for equality this election. It’s the biggest issue I stand for. I want the same rights as everyone else, and my sexuality should not be what determines whether or not I get it.
Think about all the people who will be hurt if Romney is thrown into office, not physically — I hope — but spirits will be hurt because that is a step back for this country, and it will not be good for us.
By BRYAN JONES
Profiles Editor
jonesbry@umail.iu.edu
