Lizz Winstead—Comedian
and activist
Co-Creator of The Daily Show and Founder of Lady Parts Justice
I was a Bernie supporter. I campaigned for him and introduced him at public events until he endorsed Hillary, and then I followed his lead. The reactions have been many. I got a few death threats on Twitter, but the more common, and also more condescending reactions, came from the self-righteous morality police who criticized me for being a sellout and not “voting my conscience.” This says more about what is weighing on their “conscience,” or rather, what isn’t, than anything to do with my choices.
You see, the big thing I want out of a political revolution is that it empowers the disenfranchised who have been left out of this broken system, and gives them the chance to lead it. That means women and people of color. That means immigrants and LGBTQI folks. That means a working class that deserves a living wage. We have to understand that our role as revolutionaries is to push the existing system to become more equitable, while creating and supporting politicians who can help shake up that system to create the America we want. Hillary Clinton listened and was pushed by the message of this revolution. If you want to continue the process, vote for the person who hears you when you roar. America is a living democracy. That means we all have to participate in it. Every. Damn. Day.
Voting for Hillary keeps us on a progressive path. Electing her means we have a set of ears willing to listen. Making sure we fill those ears with demands for a better future is up to us. Donald Trump has no ability to listen, and worse, doesn’t seem to have a conscience. So when people lecture me that they are “voting their conscience,” I now simply say, “Me too. I am voting for the candidate who has one.”
PHOTO: DANIELLE ST. LAURENT
This article originally appeared in the October/November 2016 print edition of BUST Magazine. Subscribe today!
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