Robert Kearney

Robert Kearney of Cincinnati served in the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division and later in the Ohio Army National Guard

During my time serving in our nation’s military, I have made sure that no matter where I was in the world, I cast my vote to make my voice heard.

Many times that meant I was voting absentee. I voted for Bob Dole in 1996 while I was in Infantry Basic Training in Fort Benning, Georgia; I voted for President George W. Bush in 2004 while I was deployed on a peacekeeping mission to Kosovo; and I voted for John McCain in 2008 while I was deployed doing convoy security in Iraq.

I have voted Republican in every election, but this year, without any hesitation or reservation, I am voting for Hillary Clinton for president.

My experience in the military has taught me the importance of a strong and stable commander in chief. Clinton has the best foreign policy chops of any candidate who has been in this election, and she understands how to deal with other foreign powers in a rational, sensible manner.

The way the president works with our allies and deals with our adversaries has an impact on our day-to-day lives, and the lives of those around the world. Understanding the motives and capabilities of those who want to do us harm keeps us safe, both physically and economically.

In a shrinking world, foreign policy has a way of quickly becoming domestic policy, and Clinton is head and shoulders above Donald Trump in having the knowledge and temperament to deal with our friends and our rivals on an international stage.

Character is also important to me. I know how Clinton would govern. While I don’t agree with her on each and every policy, I know I don’t have to see eye to eye on every issue to have respect for her as a leader. I know that she will work for the best interest of our nation as a whole. She treats others with respect and honor, as a world leader should.

Trump, on the other hand, has shown nothing but contempt and disregard for anyone who doesn’t share his narrow, uninformed view on the issues. While this in itself is bad, his petty name calling, bullying and mocking his opponents shows a complete lack of character. What nicknames would a President Trump have for Angela Merkel or what would he tweet after a contentious exchange with her?

I am also against the use of fearmongering and scare tactics, and I think Trump would take the country in the wrong direction. Leaders must understand nuances when implementing a strong and safe foreign policy. I feel that Republicans tend to oversimplify and degrade some of the most important issues of our time to score political points.

The combination of racial and religious intolerance I have witnessed in this election is an offense to those who have given their lives to protect those freedoms.

One of my friends who served alongside me was a first-generation Muslim-American from Bangladesh who was killed in action in Afghanistan. I sickens me to think about how disrespectfully Trump might respond to him or his family.

By supporting Clinton, I am placing the nation that I served and defended over the party I chose.

I have three young daughters and I want to help create a better future for them.

I am using my voice at the ballot and saying that I want all of our children to grow up in the nation that I joined the Army to defend, a nation that has always been great.