Hillary Clinton is the only serious choice we have for president
We've heard a lot of talk lately about a broken or rigged system. Unfortunately, no one has ever defined what this system is. The only system I'm aware of is that which was drawn up by our Founding Fathers that referred to the representative (based on state and popularly-elected representatives), checked and balanced (with executive, congressional, and court bodies), and democratic (of the people, by the people and for the people) system.
They drew up this is system to protect our country from what they called tyrants, those who would use their power for personal ends. This system was recorded in what we call the U.S. Constitution, which all of our leaders are sworn in to follow when they begin office.
This system has been copied all over the world and has lasted a for very long time. Thus, if someone in great power were to complain about, or even try to buck, this system, it would make most people very nervous and if they were in office, could lead to impeachment.
Hillary Clinton has faithfully and unselfishly lived and worked within this system all her life. I won't mention all of the ways she's done so because it's common knowledge. She has certainly made it clear that she knows, appreciates and is eager to continue her service within the system if she is elected president.
I simply cannot understand why all her faithful service is being ignored and wiped out supposedly by two things that happened when she was head of the gigantic, complicated State Department. These two instances have been studied over and over again, but no one has ever concluded she did anything wrong.
For instance, the Benghazi attacks did happen on her watch, but there is no evidence that she did anything to facilitate them. The same is true for a mistake she has admitted in the use of emails that caused no breach in security and no problems. I am convinced that if these two things had happened to any other secretary of state (who was not likely to run for president), we would not have heard one word about either of them. They would never have been in the news and nobody would know anything about them.
However, because of these two things, she's now being called, crocked, devious, dangerous, and even a monster who's mentally ill in a silly caricature that has grown up around her from her opposition. It's clear to me that to just throw out such an outstanding person who has faithfully served within the system for so many years because of two minor things is absolutely ridiculous.
Sure there are serious problems facing us in the world today, but then there always have been.
I could never name them all here, but just look back in history and you'll see similar challenges. I won't deny that I'm concerned about the rise of ISIS and the chaos of the Arab Spring. But it seems to me that electing a president who appreciates a system that has done so well for so many years, and also a person who understands what's going on in the world, is not only the right thing to do, it's the only thing to do.
If anyone is upset because she's a woman and is “weak,” get over it. There is no place for prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness. She has proven over and over that she's tough, reflective and totally faithful to the democratic system. Also, many other countries in the world have elected a woman to their highest office, so we're long overdue.
The worst thing we can do right now is elect someone who has shown no signs that he will follow our checked and balanced system as it struggles to keep us free of dictators and demagogues.
The writer lives in Murrells Inlet.
This story was originally published September 12, 2016 at 11:19 AM with the headline "Hillary Clinton is the only serious choice we have for president."