The two-party system in the United States has tied the hands of Americans for years. Within this system, we are tied to polarized “sides” that don’t work perfectly for anyone, but some do less harm to you than others. It has been an easy pill to swallow in my adult years, and as a Black woman living in America, I never truly trust the people in power. With the history of the treatment of my people in this country, I have no reason to believe anything a politician says. Every once in a while, I have a glimmer of hope when I hear a candidate speak about how different they are from other politicians. Of course, anytime you dig deeper, you quickly discover that most promises are made to gain your vote.

Whenever someone asked me why I didn’t choose a third-party candidate, I would mention that it felt like a waste of a vote. With a candidate gaining a voice but never making it past a certain percentage, it was clear that the country never saw a need for an alternative. The conditions were not right for a change of the status quo.

So what has changed?

There has been a clear turning point with the converging of generations, an aging political leader group, an increasingly bias media, and the rise of social media. A few moments are pivotal to indicate a change in the tide.

1. The US is expected to spend $14B to fund a genocide.
2. The lack of desire to stop the genocide of a group of people despite over 4,100 of them being children. Source
3. The rise of mass shootings and the inability of politicians to care
4. The visibility of police violence
5. The visibility of the atrocities, genocides, famine, and devastation around the world
6. The differing narratives of the media vs video evidence
7. The rise of AI
8. The lack of care for a population of civilians in hospitals and refugee camps during missile attacks
9. The censure of Rep Rashida Talib Source

What I have learned is that there is no lesser of two evils any longer that can be swallowed. The Democrats will do nothing to create a better balance on the Supreme Court. Otherwise, they would have done so in the last four years.

As of today, there are 361 days until election day. We do not have enough time to stand up for a new candidate. I will not vote for someone who aids genocide in any way. There is no lesser evil between the RNC and the DNC. We need a Third Party Candidate. Over the next couple of weeks, I will post information on the research on the acceptable candidates. Additionally, I plan to continue to write my congresswoman, who has been very vocal in her support of a ceasefire in Palestine.

*Disclosure* I am not a political expert and realize I write each word from an extreme place of privilege.