Dear Editor,

I am writing in response to Mayor Myrick’s recent endorsement of Senator Hillary Clinton over Senator Bernie Sanders. Like the mayor, I believe that President Obama has been a transformational president. However, we differ in the belief that preserving President Obama’s legacy is a core consideration in choosing his successor. While the president has many accomplishments, his time in office has also been marked by gridlock and political polarization. We need a president who will bring people together, not label the opposition as our “enemy”, as Senator Clinton has done.

I also agree with Mayor Myrick’s belief that seeing a woman president would be incredibly empowering. But just as having an African-American president didn’t end racism, having a female president wouldn’t end sexism. And is electing someone based on their gender instead of their ideas really fighting sexism? I want to see a woman POTUS. I want to see a presidential field where there are as many women candidates as men. I can’t wait for the day when voting for a female president is exciting not because she is a woman but because she reflects the values I believe in.

I really believe that there are so many women who would make great political leaders, but I have a hard time supporting a candidate who refuses to take a solid position on many important issues: The Keystone Pipeline, the TPP, and Glass–Steagall are just a few. When Senator Sanders says he’ll fight for women—or anything else for that matter—I believe him because of his consistent record and because he is financed by average people, not billionaires and special interests.

Alec Salisbury
Cinema and Photography
Class of 2018