I usually don't pay attention to what comes out of Hollywood, but I recently read snippets of an interview that you gave where you stated that you would never vote for a Republican. While I'm sure there are benefits to speaking against Republicans (given Hollywood’s obvious bias!) I think you may have missed the point (or been misinformed).
The primary vision of the Republican party is for the states (DISTRICTS) to have their own say about how they govern themselves, leaving the central government as a mediator and public face to the world. Every state, while being united in the whole, has a distinct character that is divined by the people that choose to live there. Many times when you hear that the GOP is against some issues, it is often because they think it should instead be decided at the state level, involving the people it affects directly. You should not have to drive all the way to fucking Washington D.C. in order to have a say.
From what I have heard, the primary vision of the Democratic party is to have a central government (THE CAPITOL) that decides whats best for the people. That it is the role of the federal government to solve ALL of life’s problems. I've heard numerous Democrat leaders and policy makers imply that the average person is not smart enough to make decisions about their own lives. They believe in a one-size-fits-all government and anyone who disagrees is wrong and must be ignored/ silenced.
I was surprised the most by your comments about women's rights, especially after your essay about wage discrimination was the essence of Republican Feminism. Never heard of that term? What it means is that women should stand up for themselves, instead of relying on the governments help. It is the antitheses of what some call Liberal Feminism which wants the government to solve all of women's problems. What do you think would be more empowering for women... negotiating for more pay based on worth, or having the government mandate that women be paid the same as men regardless of worth? Hillary Clinton is for the latter... I applauded your previous comments on this issue because I thought someone finally gets it. How hard were you attacked that you have changed your view? Most republican women I know feel ALL issues are women's issues and don't want to be defined by their gender. I don't know a single republican, man or women, that does not support women's basic rights. Who convinced you to think that? What are the specific rights that you are referring to? Really, why would a political group want to half their potential voters? Maybe there are deeper explanations at play that you haven't seen...
I don't imagine that you will dramatically alter your opinions based on a random letter from a random person on the internet. I hope I have given you enough to, at least, re-consider your views on Republicanism. You are in a position where your words can matter. I think its prudent to show you that they are not the enemy. There are at least two sides to every issue and the smartest people have the ability to look at both.
Lastly, as a single guy, I can not pass up the opportunity to propose that we get together to discuss some of these issues. Although I'm sure that’s just wishful thinking, I do think that there could be benefits to having an honest discussion about the issues that face the world. I think we could both learn something just by listening.
Philly in MD
P.S. I am not a part of any political organization and I can be a lot more fun then this letter reflects.
P.P.S. I do not want to defend Donald Trump or the implications of his presidency. Please bear in mind that individual candidates do not speak for the millions of people who associate with one party or another. I have talked with many people on the right who hate Donald Trump as well as many Dem's who hate Hillary Clinton. Just remember that Trump once identified as a Democrat and gave a significant amount of money to that side.
Photo Credit Jennifer Lawrence at San Diego Comic-Con 2015" by Dominick D - https://www.flickr.com/photos/idominick/21104952951/. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons
