Politics

A Thank-you to Hillary Clinton for Fighting for Our Future & Giving Us Hope

December 1, 2016 by Lindsay Hand

Viewpoint from our Author Reflects on Many a Millennial’s Hope for America

The past year has been long, exhausting, dispiriting, and difficult. Women and minorities have repeatedly felt victimized and attacked in ways that most of us thought–at least hoped were disappearing from our society. But in the midst of endless insults and hatred, there was hope, togetherness, and an intense desire for continued progress as a nation. Those lights in the darkness were thanks to a campaign run on the platform of being “Stronger Together.” Thanks to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, there was and is hope in a seemingly hopeless time.

I have been “with her” for a long time, and that will not change now. But it is not just because she is a woman; I am still with her because she fights for the good in our country and believes in the potential of each and every one of us–even those who do not trust her or voted against her–to be positive agents of change and progress and contribute productively to society. I know Hillary is not perfect; no politician or person is, no matter their actions, beliefs, party loyalties, or rhetoric. It is impossible to satisfy everyone, and it is also impossible to never make mistakes. But it cannot be denied that Hillary Clinton has spent decades of her life dedicated to bettering society and in constant devotion to public service.

Indeed, Hillary has always fought for young people and for the future. She has focused on social issues, something so many millennials are distinctly passionate about. As seen from a map circulating the internet following Election Day, young people aged 18-25 overwhelmingly voted “blue” because they believe in the same things Hillary and the Democratic Party do.
From being an instrumental part of the Children’s Defense Fund to protecting 9/11 First Responders to her groundbreaking statement “human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights,” Hillary has played an important part in bringing crucial, necessary, and timely issues into the national spotlight.

Hillary has advocated for early education, sensible gun control, affordable healthcare and college, fair and equal wages, combating climate change, justice, unity, and progress, amongst countless other things. She believes in the rights of women and minorities and in equality. In hope. In the inherent goodness of all of us. Despite how the election unfolded, I still believe in these things, as does much of my generation.

Hillary believes in us. She always has. Now is the time to take the intelligence, class, and dignity she has shown and use it to drive our fight for what’s right and for the good that does exist in our country. As my 17-year-old sister, Gillian, posted on Facebook: “We must look to the future and come together, strong and united. We must fight for what we believe in. We must embrace one another with acceptance, camaraderie, and love.” We must follow the example Hillary has set and continue to push for what we believe in. She has fought tirelessly for us and for the things we care about, and now it is our turn to take action.

Hillary with Lindsay (right) and Gillan Hand

It is now up to us, the generation of the future, to continue the fights Secretary Clinton has fought for so long. Thank you, Hillary, for continuing the fight and inspiring so many, myself included. Thank you for constantly working for the future and for pushing our nation towards progress and equality. Thank you for being a role model for millions of young girls and women who, because of you, believe they can do great things, even run for President. Thank you for starting us on a path to fighting for what we believe in. Thank you for your wisdom, grace, sincerity and strength in the face of endless adversity. Thank you for making history. Truly, thank you for everything.

“I still believe as deeply as I ever have that if we stand together and work together with respect for our differences, strength in our convictions and love for this nation, our best days are still ahead of us.” – Hillary Clinton

Two-time Inside Chappaqua Guest Editor Lindsay Hand is a junior Communication major at Cornell University.

Election Watch Party at Kittle House

December 1, 2016 by Inside Press

With hopes high for the best possible outcome: About 300 Hillary supporters attended an Election Watch party at Crabtree’s Kittle House organized by Chappaqua Friends of Hillary. The Kittle House is frequently the setting for Hillary Clinton’s TV interviews and where she appeared at the Democratic Convention via satellite to accept the party’s historic presidential nomination. “The Kittle House has been like a second home to Bill and Hillary Clinton–and many of their important and momentous occasions have been celebrated here since they first moved to Chappaqua,” said John Crabtree, owner.

(ABOVE): Melissa Cotto (left) with Virginia Shasha

(L-R) Angelo Grasso, Hilary Steuer Grasso, Kelly Leonard, Dylan O’Keefe

PHOTOS BY GRACE BENNETT

‘We Will Go Forward Together’

December 1, 2016 by The Inside Press

Concert goers came from near and far the night before Election Day; the all-star lineup in Philadelphia at a GOTV Rally for Hillary Clinton may have been impossible to resist. Rock star icons Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi entertained the crowd with their hit songs, and President Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama all joined Hillary Clinton in a most memorable, show of solidarity.

PHOTOS BY CHAD KRAUS

HOME STRETCH

At Westchester County Airport: the Clintons scheduled 3:30 a.m. arrival time on Election Day from a final campaign stop in Raleigh did not deter the enthusiastic supporters who had gathered patiently for hours as temperatures dipped below 40 degrees. With Katy Perry’s The Fight Song booming, a hometown crowd cheered as Hillary and Bill Clinton stepped off the Boeing 737; and per usual, the Clintons took time to greet and thank many who came before heading home to Chappaqua.

PHOTOS BY CHAD KRAUS

Chappaqua Friends of Hill and Tim

Voting Day at Grafflin

Because All of Us Should Vote

October 21, 2016 by The Inside Press

By Alina

According to The American Presidency Project, only 54.87% of eligible voters placed a vote in the 2012 presidential campaign. Many Americans today are not voting, but here’s why each of us should.

The United States is a democracy, which means that each and every citizen who is age 18 or older has the right to vote for the candidate they want as their President. However, if enough of us aren’t voting, then can this truly be called a democracy?

As an American citizen, it is your duty to vote for the leader you want to represent your views and goals. By not voting, you are throwing away your right as a citizen. Because many are under the impression that “their vote doesn’t matter so what’s the point,” plenty of Americans tend to lay back and let others do the voting.

However, if every person who believed that their vote didn’t matter stood up and decided to vote after all, we’d have close to 100% participation in the upcoming election, which is much more than having “no impact” as many tend to believe.

Voting is especially vital to us here in Chappaqua because one of the presidential candidates happens to live in our town.

Yes, Hillary Clinton is our neighbor, and, as Chappaqua is primarily a Democratic town, it is important for us to vote for her, the Democratic candidate, in this election. Many people in Chappaqua support Hillary’s ideals, and what better way to show our support for our neighbor than to place a vote in the elections? It is really unwise to rely on everyone else to vote for Hillary because, as much as it may seem so, she will not simply become president “no matter what.”

If each individual person does not get out and vote, no one will make any progress, and this country would certainly no longer be called a “democracy.” Addressing the situation of getting more people to vote can be simple: Explain to others that their vote matters and that casting their vote helps benefit Hillary greatly. She, in turn, helps us by supporting our views and making them a reality. Help support our next door neighbor by voting in the next election.

Alina is a junior at Horace Greeley High School whose political knowledge extends to conversations (which sometimes turn to heated debates) with her friends. She moved to Chappaqua fairly recently, but has already seen Hillary.

Editor’s Note: One of Seven Girls’ Essays featured in the November “If Our Neighbor Becomes President” Cover Story. The girls were directed by Keri Walsh, Ph.D., who heads the Chappaqua Summer Writing Program for Girls at the Greeley House.

Clinton vs. Trump: The Race to the White House

October 21, 2016 by The Inside Press

By Amber Mildenhall

Hillary Clinton vs Donald Trump, it’s a race to the White House. Both are leading the course by becoming their parties’ representatives. In addition to the obvious difference, namely the political parties they support (Hillary Clinton being Democratic and Donald Trump Republican), the two candidates have opposite opinions on so many matters.

I moved to the United States at the age of eight. I didn’t even think about politics until I was in second grade, the same year Barack Obama became President.

My elementary school simulated the election of 2008; each student was given a chance to enter a booth where we could either circle a picture of Barack Obama or his republican opponent John McCain, and therefore “vote” for each candidate.

Unaware that an election was even going on, I chose Barack Obama (whom I didn’t even realize was Barack Obama) based on whatever preference I had as an eight-year old (although I still do support my decision now, eight years later). I went home that day and asked my parents what this alien booth-circling activity even meant. They gave me facts and pointers comparing Obama and McCain, which all seemed quite complicated to my eight-year-old self. So, without further ado, here are the facts of this year’s candidates for all those as confused as I was eight years ago.

Gun control has been a major debate between many politicians. The Second Amendment to the Constitution allowing the right to bear arms is viewed by many as no longer relevant. The United Kingdom has already instituted many laws to prohibit firearms. Hours of paperwork, applying for a license, and proving that you are not a threat to society has limited the violence that results from firearms. The United Kingdom’s firearm-related death rate per 100,000 per year in 2011 was 0.23, and the United States’ rate in 2014 was 10.54. Hillary Clinton wishes to abolish the Second Amendment and have gun control more similar to the UK’s.

Hillary Clinton said, “More than 33,000 Americans are killed by guns each year. It’s time to act. As President, I’ll take on the gun lobby and fight for commonsense reforms to keep guns away from terrorists, domestic abusers, and other violent criminals—including comprehensive background checks and closing loopholes that allow guns to fall into the wrong hands.” Donald Trump has an opposite opinion, and wishes to keep the right to bear arms. Donald Trump wrote, “Democrats want to confiscate all guns, which is a dumb idea because only the law-abiding citizens would turn in their guns and the bad guys would be the only ones left armed.” Donald Trump believes that it is every US Citizen’s right to bear arms, whereas Hillary Clinton views the existence of the second amendment as dangerous.

Donald Trump’s and Hillary Clinton’s postions on immigrants, like gun control, are also opposite. Donald Trump wants to build a wall on the Mexican border and have Mexico pay for it. Hillary Clinton stands for the less extreme measure of a fence along the Mexican border. “They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists,” Trump said of undocumented Mexican immigrants while announcing his candidacy last June. Donald Trump wishes to allow legal immigration, triple the number of ICE officers (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers), and end birthright citizenship.

Hillary Clinton supports a path to legalization for illegal immigrants whereas Donald Trump believes they should be deported effective immediately. Clinton also wishes to toughen penalties for hiring illegal immigrants, and supports Obama’s executive decision which would have allowed for illegal immigrants who are parents to legal citizens to remain in the USA for a certain amount of time.

Terrorist threats are a major factor in the immigration issue the USA is currently facing, but Clinton continues to believe that, “First, we rely on partners in Muslim countries to fight terrorists. The immigration ban would make it harder.”

Hillary Clinton’s and Donald Trump’s views on gun control and immigration are opposite. Healthcare is yet another subject in which Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton must agree to disagree. Donald Trump wishes to get rid of Obamacare, the unofficial name for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010, whereas as Clinton wishes to expand it. When one of these two candidates becomes President, completely different policies will be instituted.

Amber is a legal alien, a citizen of the United Kingdom, and a sophomore at Horace Greeley High School who is currently obsessed with Pokemon Go.

Editor’s Note: One of Seven Girls’ Essays featured in the November “If Our Neighbor Becomes President” Cover Story. The girls were directed by Keri Walsh, Ph.D., who heads the Chappaqua Summer Writing Program for Girls at the Greeley House.