Op-ed: Why Hillary?

By now, we’re sure you have seen the media coverage — both positive and negative — on the woman we hope will be inaugurated as our next president, but how much do you know about her and her supporters? Though you may be a strong Hillary supporter, you may still be undecided or supporting Bernie Sanders. Allow us to tell you “why Hillary,” why we support her, why we give up weekends and evenings to phone bank and canvass and why we will be voting in the primaries (and the general election) for this incredible public servant.

Hillary is, hands down, the most qualified and the most experienced candidate.

Though this election has shown it may be “in” to be an outsider, Hillary has a level of experience that is nearly unmatched in Washington, D.C. today, an asset that will undoubtedly aid her in the White House. Her tenures as First Lady of Arkansas, First Lady of the United States, Senator from New York and Secretary of State have given her an unmatched level of access to the decision-making process behind some major political moments and have allowed her to make amazing contributions herself. As Senator, she worked to ensure 9/11 first responders received the healthcare they deserved and needed, and that New York City received the money required to rebuild the city after the devastating attacks. As First Lady, she started the conversation about healthcare reform and created the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which today insures eight million children. Her experience in these areas, and many more, means she will be ready to be president from day one in office.

Furthermore, although the media has presented Hillary as out of touch with young voters, she has presented comprehensive plans to address issues closest to the hearts of college students like us. These include her plans to prevent sexual assault on campus, to make college affordable for the people who need it most with her New College Compact and to stop preventable gun violence. Her plans to combat campus sexual assault include ensuring that comprehensive, confidential support is given to victims regardless of their choice to prosecute the crime and, if the victim does decide to press charges, guaranteeing a fair legal process. She even plans to help prevent sexual violence by increasing education and awareness of sexual assault at the secondary school level, with the goal of breaking the cycle of violence. With her New College Compact, Hillary will ensure students and families will not be burdened by the crippling debt of college tuition by lowering loan interest rates to match those of other government loans, and by increasing taxes on high-income taxpayers. She will also work to close the loopholes that give the gun industry immunity and institute tougher background checks to keep guns out of the wrong hands. These are just a few of the issues she has practical, passionate opinions on, and are ones that she will bring to the forefront once she is in the White House.

Finally, Hillary has the unique opportunity to advance women’s rights in a revolutionary way. You have probably heard people repeatedly saying, “Hillary is just playing the gender card.” Though we would not recommend voting for a candidate based solely on gender, it is worth noting that as the first female president, Hillary would show girls everywhere that they can and should dream of achieving anything they want to. No, her presidency would not eliminate sexism, nor are we suggesting her presidency would remove the different and complex barriers faced by transgender women and women of color, but isn’t it time we see a woman in the White House?

Polls indicate the upcoming Massachusetts primary will be a close election. We hope you will vote, and vote for Hillary Clinton because she has been fighting for us since day one and will keep fighting for us everyday that she is in the White House. We believe she is the best candidate in this race, and we hope you join us in voting for her on March 1.

 

Editor’s note: If you would like to send your response or make an Op-Ed contribution to the Opinion section, please e-mail us at tuftsdailyoped@gmail.com. The Opinion section looks forward to hearing from you.