This is an important time in our country; we are caught at a crossroads between partisan politics and painful discussions, and that is why the Criterion has not taken, or made, this decision lightly.
This election will be studied in our own classrooms at Colorado Mesa University for decades to come. So, we are taking this opportunity to officially endorse Hillary Clinton for president of the United States in 2016.
As a newspaper, it is our duty to present information in an unbiased and trustworthy way, it almost seems counterintuitive to support a candidate in an official capacity. So, why is it that so many newspapers do this, what makes this a circumstance where it is necessary?
The Criterion feels it is our duty as an institution to inform our readership and foster an essential conversation. The Criterion is not partisan, not made of stone, but a newspaper that is meant to reflect the times and people. It is our duty to remain on the right side of history so that future students at CMU may have the same unalienable rights our forefathers set forth over 200 years ago.
In 28 days, our country will come together to elect our 45th president, a decision many of our fellow classmates have chosen to sit out on. Whether that decision was made from cynicism, indifference or as a simple act of protest, we implore you to walk with pride on Nov. 8 to a ballot box and take a stand.
Take a stand against rhetoric that divides the country further, take a stand against hate and pain and most importantly take a stand for your future. So, that one day you can tell your children that you used your voice for democracy, not for a joke.
For the vast majority of students, Clinton has been in newspapers and on television their entire lives. Her past and her actions have been rightly scrutinized and criticized, but if you look at that same past, you will see a woman that has fought to better our country.
As first lady, she reformed health care to support children negotiated a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as secretary of state and, of course, never gave up the fight for women’s rights.
Americans are constantly hungry for change, we are a country born from a revolution after all, and that is why some look to Donald Trump for change. That is not the change America is in desperate need of, we must look forward to a strong and safe America; not an America that closes its doors to those different than us.
We praised each other for the election of our first African-American president eight years ago, how could we elect bigotry after that?
After 86 years of publishing this newspaper, this is the first time we have endorsed a woman for president of the United States. And after 240 years since our country declared their independence, we hope to see the first woman elected president.
This election is polarizing, and we understand that bridges cannot be mended overnight, but we ask that a calm discussion is held for the next 28 days. Learn more about your fellow Mavericks, and who they are voting for, but do not denounce them.
