Opinion: An Open Letter to Hillary Clinton

Dear Hillary, 

I would have enjoyed it all: the firsts, the break-down of stereotypes, and prejudices. You could have been the first female president, the first female on ANY United States presidential ticket, for that matter, and you could have been the one that happened to me in my lifetime. Now, no matter who wins in the future, I will never be able to say that you were the first. I can’t say that in 2016, I saw a female president come up onto the stage for the first time and watched with heart-beating hope as my mom and other women around me shook with validity and solidarity. I can’t say in 2016 that I was there to comfort my grieving grandparents, who believed it would be the first time in their lives that they would see a woman become president. The fact that I couldn’t even understand, wouldn’t even begin to understand the heaviness of that moment at my age is saddening. I wish I had paid more attention.

We elected a president who is misogynistic, sexist, xenophobic, homophobic, and racist. We took it day by day for four long years, turning our thoughts and grievances into physical action and trying not to let the bigotry of this president wear us down. Throughout the past four years, the news cycle has been nothing but a constant stream of what Donald Trump did– I want to forget about that for a second. Let’s stop thinking about your past opponent, and let’s think about you, Hillary.

As an eleven-year-old, I remember the drive vividly from Peet’s Coffee to the nearby Trader Joe’s: the fall had started taking shape in sunny Cardiff, and the crisp air made my sweatpants and boots a little more necessary than when I had worn them in the summer. I had asked my mom, “Wait, is Hillary going to win?” She laughed as we drove into the Trader Joe’s parking lot. “Yeah, I mean, yeah. I’m sure there’s almost absolutely no reason Trump could win.” She couldn’t have guessed otherwise. It was this interpretation of the polls that made us all believe, on election night, that we were seeing the first female president elected in front of our very eyes.

Hillary, you represented so many things to me. Not only would you have been the first female president, but you were the first one to say, in 1995, “Human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights, once and for all.” 

Women say that we see ourselves in you, Hillary. No matter your politics, the American people cannot undermine how impactful it would have been to see a woman on that stage. At least this year, we were absolutely inspired and enthralled when a woman like Kamala Harris finally made it onto a presidential ticket and became Biden’s vice-president-elect.

But how did it take this long? Growing up during the Obama administration, it seemed that barrier-breaking politicians were the norm. I saw you in 2016, and I was not enthralled by you, Hillary. I saw you on that debate stage, and I thought to myself, “How is this inherently new? Is this a huge deal? Why has this never happened before?”

People don’t think a lot about how awesome it would have been if you had become president, Hillary. I don’t think I realized it as I moved from primary political campaign to campaign, trying my hardest to volunteer to elect someone with compassion, hope, and light. I think I forgot, along the way, that I was feeling not only from the worst, most disrespectful, and bigoted president in our country but also from the dispiriting loss of not having you back in 2016. With you, I could have said to my grandkids, “Guess who we elected when I was a kid? It was this woman, right here! She’s the one you’re reading about right now.” You held hope, faith, and light, Hillary. I felt your strength as you strut across the stage in your pink suit.

However, hope is never lost. I want to thank you for clearing that path for women to follow you: with the precedent you sent, we will be swearing in our first female, African-American, Indian, and immigrant-born vice-president of the United States. You held the light for so many women to follow you. In your footsteps, it feels like more is possible than ever before.

I am sorry, Hillary, for seemingly forgetting about you over the last four years. I forgive you for losing the race and all the pain that loss has caused. I am grateful for your example, as more people understand that they can break barriers and do whatever they feel like they want to do. From the top to the bottom of my heart, Hillary, I accept the impact you’ve made on my life. We’ve done amazing things these past four years, despite your loss. In an organization I volunteered in, we mailed over 15 million letters to encourage people to vote. I sent over 5,000 texts in support of candidates with whom I aligned. We’re doing the work, and I believe that you can see that, Hillary, and see the impact you have made on us. I’ve never been a person who felt inspired about politics, but that changed a little this past year, is a reflection of you. 

You changed the way we see women in politics, and I will never be able to thank you enough. The Inauguration is in 59 days at the writing of this article, and I believe that we will be able to move forward as a country. Whenever our first woman president is inaugurated, I’ll think of you, Hillary. You’ll be one of the giants we look up to.

Sincerely,

A still hopeful student