Since this came up during the DNC I feel this is the appropriate place for venting,
Quick background information: I am a high school teacher starting this year and my long time girlfriend is still in college to be an elementary school teacher.
Currently we are long distance and discussing the importance of this election as it pertains to our particular careers. The essential focus is on how I feel we cannot afford for the Democrats to win; this assumption is based off of my understanding and belief on minimum wage. I explained to her, as I understand it, "when you break down the salary in our school district, and the number of hours, we make about $16 per hour. So if the minimum wage were to be bumped up to $15 per hour we would only be making $1 more than your typical McDonald's employee. The inflation caused by this raise in the minimum wage would just put us at the 'starving wage' that Bernie screams about."
This is also based off the assumption, and my perceived likelihood, that my job would not provide a raise considering we are currently above the proposed change. Which would mean that a college educated and teacher would be making the same as a fast food employee and likely less than a manager.
I believe that everyone must vote for whom they believe is right for them and for me it is unfortunately Trump. I cannot support the minimum wage increase that Hillary-Kaine have adopted, I can't support fracking because of its known effects, and I personally don't agree with taunting those legally trying to enter our country by providing amnesty to those who broke the law to do so.
Now my side subject that I needed to vent about is a little less political. My girlfriend's roommate's (my former roommates as well) are both from central/south Florida and have been born into strongly Democrat-based families. One of the roommates is a computer science major and the other is still trying to get into nursing school. Well, in the time since I have left the apartment both have become more brave in openly bashing both my and my girlfriend's intelligence and scoffing at our political views. After a confrontation tonight it became abundantly clear that this air of superiority stemmed from the differences in our majors. So these two, with no prior work history in their entire lives, have become increasingly snotty towards the two of us because they believe we are less intelligent based off of our majors. I could boast about how well my girlfriend and I have done on x,y, and z but it distracts from the main issue of arrogance.
Now a sort of pivot back to the topic at hand; there is a common issue I run into with my college peers when trying to have a casual discussion about politics. Whenever I don't agree with anything remotely race related I become labeled a racist and a bigot by any Democratic 'friend' of mine. It seems impossible to have a level-headed discussion about the following with people my age: immigration, Black Lives Matter, poverty, healthcare, minimum wage, and even voter I.D. laws.
So for anyone who made it this far into my ramblings, thank you. Sometimes you just need an outlet and with my public servant position I have few. War Eagle and God bless.