As election day draws near, more candidates step out of the race. The Republican Party is left in a squeeze after 16 candidates including Bush, Carson, Rubio, Cruz, and most recently, Kaisch have suspended their campaign. Over the past year, the potentials have narrowed down to one.

The campaign that was initially viewed by many as a joke has now become a daunting possibility. Wherever intentions of the GOP formerly stood, their sole option appears to be the notorious Donald Trump. This leaves the conservative public conflicted if they have any heart for social justice.

To begin, I do not identify as a Republican. My values align much more closely with liberals, however, I do not preach blind party loyalty and that seems to be the issue at hand for many conservative voters.

Trump is the only Republican. Where does that leave the conservative voting population? They have a few options: 1. Vote for Trump because you agree with him, 2. Vote for Trump to support the GOP nominee, 3. Vote for a candidate outside of this party affiliation, or 4. Not to vote at all.

If your values align with Trump and you truly agree with him, it would make sense to vote for him. However, I strongly urge serious and thorough research and consideration before making this choice. The discrimination and hatred this man expels is dangerous for America and, contrary to his campaign promises, will not make America great again. It will revert the progress in equality the country has worked for.

Now, if all of the facts are being ignored solely because he says he is Republican, there is an immense danger at hand. We need to actually evaluate and assess candidates. This election should not be about party affiliation. Identifying with any political party does not and should not mean compliance with every single standard solely due to association with a party.

We need to research before we make any decisions and then make those decisions based on our own opinion. It’s important to educate ourselves and create our own ideals, standards and beliefs. We need to choose candidates individually based on who most aligns with our wants and needs. A candidate that we believe is capable to lead the country. A party should be the least of our concerns, because it depleted our individual influence in the voting process.

As citizens, we have the right to vote and we need to take this beautiful freedom seriously. Blind party loyalty is foolish and potentially harmful. We need to be independent and educated voters.

If the decision behind voting is because you don’t think you can make a difference, this line of thought is also dangerous. If every American thinks in this manner, then no you will not be able to make a difference. Your voice can matter if you actually go out and vote. Individuals together can make an impact.

Before choosing who to vote for or whether to vote at all, as citizens we need to truly assess the potentials and make our decisions responsibly.