To the Editor:
Recently, a Millennial (a person between the ages of 18-34) told me she wasn’t voting because she felt there was no difference between Clinton and Trump. Putting aside the fact that one may not like all of Hillary’s positions or is still upset that Bernie didn’t get the nomination, the fact is that the next President is going to be either Clinton or Trump and the difference between them is enormous when it comes to the day-to-day issues that will affect everyone’s’ lives and our environment for generations to come. Although there are MANY differences between the two candidates, I have limited this short list to those issues that are of most concern to that age group.
1) THE SUPREME COURT — There is a mistaken idea by some Millennials that because the Supreme Court has adjudicated certain laws, that they cannot be reversed. That we’ve come too far to ever go back to where we were, especially in “women’s right to choose” and “marriage equality.” This is FALSE. The Conservative side of the Republican Party, which Trump represents, wants to do just that and the next President of the United States will be picking a Supreme Court Justice who will have it in his or her power to reverse those decisions. Trump has gone on record that he doesn’t believe women have the right to choose what happens with their own bodies and that same sex marriage should not be allowed.
2) CLIMATE CHANGE — President Obama says that climate change is the “greatest long-term threat facing the world.” To that end, he has worked with world leaders to secure a global agreement to combat climate change and initiated “The Clean Power Plan.” Hillary Clinton has deemed climate change as “an urgent threat” and has set forth a plan to continue what Obama has started. Donald Trump thinks climate change is a hoax and has said, “the concept of global warning was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.”
3) MINIMUM WAGE — Hillary Clinton wants to raise the minimum wage to $12 an hour nationwide and in some areas where the cost of living is higher to $15 an hour. Donald Trump wants to raise the minimum wage to $10 an hour.
4) STUDENT LOANS – Hillary Clinton has a plan whereby the current student loan debt could be refinanced at the current rates available for students taking out new loans. Donald Trump has no real Student Loan Plan.
Nicki Wilson
80 Castle Hill Avenue
Great Barrington, Mass.
