As a former U.S. Marine with 2.5 years of foreign diplomatic service, I’m now a college senior who is worried about what this political campaign holds for my future. I’m not a Democrat, nor am I a Republican or Green. I’m pro-defense, not offense. I believe our justice system falls extremely short of the classical school of thought in criminology. Most of all I believe in the golden rule, which the candidates seem to care nothing about.

I’m tired of public speakers who think they can be the nation’s leader when all they do is childishly point fingers at each other. The major parties control their candidates—what sense does this make when we want a leader in office? I do want a black person to be president but not Mr. Obama. I do think the president should have served in our military, but I’m not voting for Mr. McCain. I do want a woman to have the chance to be elected president because they have proven themselves since before the time of the pyramids.

This campaign has turned from, “who I want to be president” to, “who I definitely don’t want to be president.” I’m more willing to vote for someone whom I’ve never heard of, than a mainstream potential catastrophe.

We just spent the last eight years being ashamed of our president and trying to defend ourselves as 305,230,226 good Americans. Why are we allowing ourselves to be ashamed any longer?

Benjamin M. Casey
Senior
Industrial Technology