I'm a White Evangelical and I Didn't Vote for Trump

I'm a conservative, white evangelical, male and I didn't vote for Trump. I could not, in good conscience, vote for him. My discernment of  his character is that he is egotistical, pompous and prideful. His past behavior is evidences of bigotry, prejudice, and lust. He's been accused of abusing women by women. His own words have shown him to be degrading of women. I believe in determining the worthiness to lead by the conduct of ones character. I found Trump's character wanting.

I'm not happy that he won, but I'm more bothered by the response to his wining. People are protesting and rioting. People are being violent and hurting one another. Conservatives are boasting saying "I told you so. We are right and you are wrong." Liberals are afraid and angry. Some are spreading fear by claiming things like Trump is another Hitler. Some are encouraging revolt and dissent.

We are very divided in this country by political ideologies, by religious beliefs, by race, and by class. We are not the "United" States. It seems more like we are the "Divided" States. Neither side understands the other. We lash out at one another in anger. We are afraid. We have tightly held beliefs and we fear that opposing beliefs will undo what we feel is right and good.

We need to try to understand the others point of view. We don't need to agree but we do need to understand. I spent a few years in the gay community with people who are very liberal in their political ideology. Christians, like myself, are often seen as the enemy threatening their rights, their freedom and their beliefs. While living among them, I made a since effort to understand them and their culture. I read books. I watched movies and documentaries. I had many conversations. My goal was to understand and been seen as trying to understand. I now know that they have been persecuted and hurt. They live in fear. Many are afraid to express their desires for the same sex because of real fear of not being accepted, being ostracized, criticized, belittled, beaten, or worse. They fear loosing employment. They feel accepted only within their own community. They feel persecuted and unwelcome in church. The issue of gay marriage is not a moral issue for them. It is a human rights issue. They want to be accepted as complete and whole in society. They want the legal rights that go with marriage and the acceptance of society. For them, conservatives want to deny them rights and keep them for acceptance. For them, that means persecution, hatred, abuse and worse. Liberals are seen as accepting them and fighting for their human rights.

If you hold the conservative political ideology, do you understand the liberal side? Do you understand why they fight for what they fight for? Have you lived among the poor and seen the dependency on the government and the fear of losing that? Have you driven around with an African American and felt the fear and anger he feels when a cop stops him for driving while black? Have you talked to a mother who lost her son or daughter because a police officer shot them? Have you talked to someone who lost their job because they were black, gay or a woman?  Have you talked to a pregnant teen who's afraid? Have you talked to a pregnant rape victim? Have you talked to a Muslim? Have you talked to an illegal immigrant?

If you hold the liberal political ideology,  do you understand the conservative side? Have you talked to someone who works hard and tries to raise a family but has seen their income go down? Have you talked to someone like me who had to wait to get married because the USCIS was processing illegals ahead of my fiancee? Have you talked to someone who is out of work and is angry? Have you talked to a Christian and asked why they have their moral beliefs? Have you talked to someone who's had an abortion and is living with regret? Have you talked to small business owners who are trying to keep the business afloat and family feed? Have you talked to someone who had to go out of business?

Maybe if we walked in one another's shoes for a while, we would not be so angry or so fearful. We won't ever agree, but at least we might understand. Maybe we could all agree to disagree.

The DACA executive order has given priority to illegal immigrants over regular citizens and military personnel.

The DACA executive order has given priority to illegal immigrants over regular citizens and military personnel.

On June 15, 2012, President Obama signed a memo calling for deferred action for certain undocumented young people who came to the U.S. as children and have pursued education or military service here. Applications under the program which is called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ("DACA") begin on August 15, 2012. Individuals who arrived in the US illegally under the age of 16 and who were under the age of 31 on June 15, 2012 are eligible to remain in the U.S. for 2 years effectively granting them a 2-year amnesty. These illegal individuals who apply are processed through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This USCIS office also processes fiancé(e) and marriage visas for fiancé(e)s and spouses of US citizens. This process has been severely hindered by the DACA.                    

On August 6th 2012, the USCIS received an I129F PETITION FOR FIANCE(E) from myself. I am a natural born U.S. citizen. The process for my fiancee to receive her K1 visa is supposed to take 6 to 8 months. After more than 8 months and the application had not yet moved from the California Service Center to the National Visa Center. Prior to the DACA, the process in California took only 5 months. According to the USCIS web site, no processing for K1 Visas has occurred for the entire year. The last petitions processed according to the site were received on July 18th. This date has not changed since December of last year though the site was last updated in April this year. Jorge Lowree, a staff member for immigration issues, in the office of Jared Polis confirmed this. He said, “I have discussed your case with the California Service Center. The Liaison in their office has indicated that while your case is outside of their typical processing time, they are currently dealing with a tremendous backlog of fiancé visa petitions. Therefore ... they are currently processing cases received on or before July 18, 2012.” This tremendous backlog has occurred because of the DACA.

When called my representative, Jared Polis and spoke to Jorge Loweree in charge of immigration issues, I received no help to push my petition forward. I should have not expected help from the staff of someone has signed a letter asking President Obama to give healthcare to the same individuals covered by the DACA.

Among those of us who seek a K1 visa for fiancé(e), are military and former military personnel who met their significant other abroad. It would seem that President Obama did not consider the welfare of ordinary U.S. citizens and brave military personnel in approving the DACA. Such a memo signed by President Obama gives priority to illegal immigrants over U.S. citizens and military personnel.

My fiancee has already shed many tears because of the delays. The DACA has personally hurt us and we are very upset.


This was not a law passed by Congress. The "Dream Act" failed to pass. The president issued this executive order bypassing congress. The constitution which the president has sworn to defend clearly states that congress creates laws not the president.


In overstepping his bounds as president, he has clearly hurt many citizens and military personnel who are anxiously waiting to be united with their loved ones. I have now been waiting more than 10 months when it should have taken at the most 8 months. Thank you Mr. President.