I'll level with you: Come election day and ideally, Lessig would have my vote. He was my initial candidate of choice when
he announced that he would be running as a Democratic nominee last year. This is the person who founded
Creative Commons, collaborated with
Aaron Swartz as both friend and academic, and wrote books about the issues facing the US political system including
One Way Forward and
Republic, Lost. I
was introduced to his work through the former, which inspired me in many ways; using Creative Commons licenses for my blog and written work, continuing to write letters to senators and representatives--through a service usually offered by the Electronic Frontier Foundation or Sunlight Foundation alongside others--and being more digitally aware and literate about said politics and politicians that reinforced Dan Gillmor's lessons in
Mediactive.
Here was a candidate who would address the issues that mattered to me, even if
he would resign once he signed the Citizen's Equality Act into law. This was someone who encouraged and continues to persuade people to get involved beyond the voting process so that, theoretically, their voice mattered more to the point that public officials took action with new legislation.
I dismissed Donald Trump as nothing more than a mere celebrity just flaunting his fiscal privilege. Hillary was just Hilary, as in she was running and had an ample amount of experience. I thought that was perfectly fine regardless of her stance on particular issues which jibbed with me which didn't cross my mind then. Bernie seemed great at first, but never really got into the semantics about how he would go about fulfilling his campaign promises.
That's the short of it, and it's embarrassing. Goes without saying, it is also menacing in more ways than one.
This election cycle has been hell all around, and not just because of Trump. The harassment of anyone who supports their candidate of choice, merely because they do, shows us how far we've come from the days of #HasJustineLandedYet (answer: not at all). The candidates aren't all that inspiring and even
those of third-parties have been a disappointment. I say this as someone who initially supported Jill Stein after Lessig was out of the running
until she started pandering to the anti-science crowd and
thought that Brexit was a good idea. The fact that Trump is essentially turning the whole thing into a tabloid gossip-fest with his tweets, the "locker-room talk" video, and failing to answer questions at the debates, just so he can attack Hillary, doesn't help anyone.
Thing is, while my tweets and posts may infer otherwise, I won't usually go and tell people how to vote. There are two exceptions to this rule: The first one being for
prevent a local referendum from passing...
...and now this one, as in I ask you to consider Hillary at the ballot box.
Say what you will about
her stance on fracking and the TPP--I also take issue to them--but at least under her Administration we'll still be able to advocate to curb the former and to reconsider the latter. Remember Lessig. Voting is just step one. The rest is up to you.
