After the recent election of Donald Trump as the President of the United States, there has been significant upset among the majority of Americans. Those who supported Clinton or other third-party candidates shed tears, held protests, and refused to hide their outrage. One trend, however, has gained an immense amount of momentum, and it may be hurting Clinton supporters more than helping them––slandering Trump supporters. It would be ignorant to state that Donald Trump has not made several questionable statements during his campaign and has showed signs of racism, misogyny and homophobia. Yet, he also appealed to certain voters in a way that they listen, respect and feel comforted by him due to his wild talk of big action once elected. Despite Trump’s controversial stances on certain issues, his manipulative and scare rhetoric is not something his voters should be blamed for.
Within any election there will be the educated voter and the uneducated voter. The presidential election of 2016 was no different. There were Clinton supporters who supported her only for her gender and knew nothing of her politics and those who supported her for her stances on specific matters. On the other side, there were those who supported Donald Trump due to his plans for the economy and employment, and those who simply followed him because they were enticed by his hatred and brutality towards certain groups of people. Despite the general upset over Trump’s victory, the worst thing for a Clinton supporter, or a non-Trump supporter, is to slander those who did vote for Trump over the Internet, at protests or on the street. Yes, they did choose to vote for a man who made several disturbing promises and made countless statements that were flooded with discrimination, but they are not Donald Trump. Logging onto Facebook to comment why someone’s opinion on Trump is wrong, or tweeting back at a supporter celebrating Trump’s victory will not get Trump out of office. Instead of fighting with fire and getting worked up for every battle, no matter how small, educate yourself. Learn about the policies surrounding the electoral college, electing congressmen and women, and those that allow your voice as a citizen to be heard. Sign petitions! You can even contact your local representative about issues you are passionate about that you feel may go under the radar with Trump as president. Do not waste your energy on those who have been affected by Trump’s rhetoric. Although it may be tempting to call out and bash a Trump supporter on what their vote truly means for people of color, women and members of the LGBTQ community, gear that energy towards making your voice heard and your actions matter.
Though it may be easy to take anger and frustration out on those citizens who helped put Trump in office, take the time instead to make peace with those citizens. Who knows? They may turn into your allies in the future. Help to educate those who may not entirely know what they signed up for when voting for Trump. Instead of starting a Twitter war, start a conversation, a learning moment and a path for action. The presidential election of 2016 is arguably one of the most insane elections America has seen in decades; therefore, we must be united––now more than ever––in making sure we know what and who is at stake, the ways we can make change and the most effective way to take action.