Clinton vs. Trump: San Antonio citizens discuss political future

Nicole Stuessy, Reporter

While a bike race consumes most of downtown San Antonio today, a much bigger race is underway, one that affects the future of our country: the 2016 presidential election.

Last year, citizens of San Antonio shared what they look for in a presidential candidate. Now they have a choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

Just this Tuesday, republican nominee Donald Trump was in San Antonio for an event at the Grand Hyatt Hotel and was met with protesters picketing outside.

This comes as no surprise to San Antonio citizen Irasema Cavazos.

“He’s very sexist and racist and of course being a Latina woman he offends me,” Cavazos. “The way he treats women, degrading them touching their bodies without consent. Its not how a president should speak.”

But it’s not just the way that Trump treats women that Cavazos disagrees with. She is against his immigration policy and promises of building a “great” wall between the U.S. and Mexico.

“We do not need to militarize the border any more than it is now,” Cavazos said. “ These are humans, the same as everybody else. The border just separates families.”

Cavazos is from a border family and has firsthand experience of this.img2

“My mother was U.S. born, an American citizen, but was deported back in the late 30’s with her Mexican father because she was undocumented.” Cavazos said. “She was not able to receive an education here although she was a citizen. I was born in Mexico. We are all one family here and we should be able to move across the border.”

Trump’s controversial policies and rhetoric are unprecedented, but Martha Adamez believes he is the fresh voice that Washington needs.

“I believe in the things that he stands for,” Adamez said. “He’s not a career politician and that’s what I like about him. Clinton has been involved in politics her whole life and has brought about nothing.”

His conservative platform is another reason she supports him

“He stands for the issues the conservatives stand for like pro life policies and is against immigration and Obamacare,” Adamez said. “I’m a conservative and we share many of the same beliefs.”

Cavazos and Adamez agree that at the end of the day people just need to get out and vote.

“Whatever you stand for, whether Trump stands for the same things as you or Hillary does, that’s who you vote for,” Adamez said. “Don’t let all the negative advertising get in the way, you got to look at the issues and vote for who is going to speak for you.”